Deeply Imbedded
by Start-a-Riot
Summary: Secrets, lies, fears and love. When the buried past comes rushing back, will it ruin their future? Old memories, new enemies. And an even stronger impression. JxOC Cara Sequel to A Lasting Impression. RR!
1. Chapter 1

I ran. As hard and fast as my body would allow. My arms pumped at my sides, legs propelling me forward. Sweat made my shirt cling to my back, the sticky summer air was so thick it was almost hard to breathe and the whole time, the hair at the back of my neck stood on end. Something was wrong. And it made me run faster.

They couldn't catch me, that was for sure. I couldn't let them catch me or the plan would be ruined. The plan that depended solely on my part. If they found me, it was all over… everything.

So I ran.

There wasn't enough time for thinking, that took too long. Thoughts raced through my mind like rockets, each one trying to be the first to catch my attention. It was like a low buzzing in my ear, adding to the sound of my panting breath. Trees whipped past me on either side, but I couldn't think about that. I just had to run.

My feet pounded on the hard packed dirt and I wished for once that it would rain to cover all the panicked noise I was making. If I kept it up they'd find me in an instant. They_ could not catch me_.

A sudden paranoia came over me and one glance over my shoulder was all it took. Stupid, really. I'd let my thoughts catch up to me, that's all. But even so, when I turned back around I had to skid to a stop. Because I was caught… Totally and irrevocably caught. I could just hear Paul's voice- "Busted".

She stood there, in a patch of moonlight like the woman I had dreamed of so long ago tucking me in at night, reading me stories, smiling as Dad taught me to ride a bike. I'd never known her and I never could even as she stood in front of me.

She was my enemy now. It was too late for anything I dreamed up as a kid... she was one of _them_ and they were the reason I was running. My heart beat so heavily in my throat it was almost too hard for me to speak but I forced the words out like you'd force honey out of a jar.

"Mom"

Chapter 1:

Cara:

Mmmm… summer vacation. I had a strong feeling it would be the best summer of my life, for various reasons, the first of which being my werewolf boyfriend, aka imprint, aka fiancé, aka love of my life. School was out for two months, my dad didn't look like a walking bruise, and best of all, there were no psycho vampires running around to ruin everything. Yes, this summer was sure to be the best one yet. I even woke up smiling.

Until the smell hit me. I sat up in Jake's room and wrinkled my nose. There are times when being a werewolf with super human senses is a downside, like right now for instance. His room usually smelled just like him- like soap and earth and something that only comes from being an avid mechanic all mingled into something way too pleasant- but that morning it smelled like burnt rubber.

"Oh, no" I mumbled, threw back the sheets and bolted for the door, almost slipping on a sock left lying around. Boys. Sometimes, I think hygiene was left out of there DNA structure.

The Black house was covered in pictures, of Jake and his sisters as infants all the way up to the most recent ones taken a year ago. Pretty soon, a whole new set of pictures would be added, considering that his twin sisters would be arriving in a week. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of Jacob at age two, as adorable as ever in, frankly, a really embarrassing photo. Tripping down the steps, the smell got even stronger and I heard the first strain of curses coming from the kitchen.

I rounded the bend and there he was, Jacob Black, leaning against the counter trying to cook _something_ and yet again not succeeding. My goal for the summer- to at least get him to boil water without burning it.

"What did I tell you?" Jake jumped and whipped around, apparently not having heard me coming over his profanities. For some reason, he looked like a kid in way over his head, his red-brown eyes wide. I walked over to him and wound my arms around his waist, leaning my head back to look at his face.

"I don't know, tell me again" He said, kissing me lightly before whipping back around, arms still wrapped around me to keep an eye on his disaster.

"I said, don't try to- what is that?" It looked like toast, it was supposed to be toast, it _should _have been toast. But it was definitely not toast any longer. More like a charred piece of bark than anything edible. And the source of the burnt rubber smell.

"Toast" said Jake, as if I should have known that all along. I gave him a look that clearly said he had to be crazy if he thought anyone could eat that. And live to talk about it. "What?"

"You killed it, Jake"  
"No, it's fine"  
"It's dead"

Ever since I had moved to La Push, Washington last winter, my life had gone from horrible to okay to crazy to almost perfect. In all sad honesty, six months was a new record for me and my dad, Chris, staying in one place. We'd live in nomad's land for the better part of me entire life, because of something I had always considered a curse… until now. Surrounded by others just like me.

"Well, who needs breakfast anyway?" He mumbled before abandoning the burnt bread to kiss me. I loved his kisses, even if it took me a good five minutes to remember how to breathe again afterward. They were sweet, and slow, and breathtaking. And so full of love I forgot about the world.

Keys jangled from the porch, the front door creaked open and the sound of Billy's wheelchair coming down the hall had us flying apart. Jake went back to his "toast" and I plopped myself down on an old chair, chin propped in my palm. Oh, yeah, we weren't just making out in his kitchen. I picked up the newspaper from two days ago as Billy Black wheeled around the corner, parka and plaid expectantly on.

"Your sister called last night, said- oh, Cara. You're here early" He looked at me, surprised but smiled after a second. Billy was Jake's father, and also happened to be one of the Pack elders. We all respected him, liked him, and learned from him. I just happened to be his son's one and only imprint, spending most of all my time with him.

"She said that? Weird…" Jake said over his shoulder and I laughed. Through the open window behind me, I could hear the steady crash of the waves on the cliffs- cliffs Jake had jumped off of, with me slung over his shoulder.

"I just stopped by, Billy. I went for a run this morning" I felt bad lying to Billy, really I did. But I was under strict orders to keep the fact that every Tuesday I spent the night at Jake's house when he was on his overnight fishing trip with Mr. Clearwater a secret. I also had to tell my own father that I was spending the night at Emily and Sam's- though Sam wasn't exactly mentioned. So far, it worked pretty well. "So far" being the operative phrase.

"Oh, well… nice morning for it" He said. I wouldn't know if it was nice out or not, considering I had just woken up, but he didn't need to know that. I smiled and nodded, hoping he wouldn't notice that I was barefoot.

The past three months had been focused around building my life back to normal… or to normal in the first place. The entire Pack, and Forks community, was trying to put the events of that winter behind us, trying to forget all about the murders-for the Forks people- and freaky vampires- for the Pack- and all the chaos everything had turned into. And it was actually working.

No more nightmares about glowing red eyes, forks in the road, running and fighting. No more voices and images in my mind. Well, there was the occasional flashback if I let my mind wonder too far but Jake's usually effective in the distraction department.

"Psst" I blinked and there he was, sitting across from me, toast stubbornly on a plate in front of him. Billy was no where in sight, his chair creaking somewhere in another part of the house, but knowing him he probably a surveillance system set up in every room.

Jake winked with a smile that would have turned my legs to Jell-O if I wasn't already sitting.

His hair was growing out from the cut he'd gotten way back when- on that day when he'd proposed. The ring was still shining on my finger, a nice little reminder whenever he's not around of just how much he loves me, and it always sent my heart racing… for one thing because I always forget to switch it to a different finger around other people and for another… well, it's sort of obvious why being engaged to Jacob Black might send my heart racing and pulse soaring.

"What's the plan for today oh, culinary master?" I asked, picking up a piece of toast just to have it crumble in my hand. Was he aware that it had to actually resemble bread after you cooked it?

"I was thinking we'd go to Emily's for lunch" Jake smiled as if that had been his plan all along. Ah, Emily.The easy way out. If you couldn't cook, she sure could and she was always cooking for seven hungry werewolves. Just in case they decided to cook for themselves in which case disaster was sure to ensue.

"And the other option would be staying here? When can we leave?"

"Oh, she's funny now?" Jake mocked surprise. He stood up and came around the table, trying not to grin and to look all menacing and tough. "Well… I don't like funny girls" My eyes widened as if he were the most terrifying thing I'd ever seen.

"You're right. You like starving ones" And he pounced, almost knocking me heels over head off the chair, just managing to catch me with one arm wrapped around my waist and one hand holding the edge of the table. I couldn't help but smile.

"Besides, I don't like girls… I just like you" I'm not sure if that was meant to be a compliment or if he was saying I wasn't a girl… he's not exactly the greatest at those spur of the moment cute phrases. Didn't matter for very long though because then he was kissing me which more than made up for his lack of wordiness, and the blood was still rushing to my head since I was practically upside down, making me even dizzier than before. At least he couldn't tell I was blushing.

My hands came up to run through his newly shaggier hair and his arm tightened around me. We wound up with me sitting in his lap on that run down old chair, completely forgetting that his father could wheel in at any moment and cause a lot of un-needed awkwardness. Or "talks". I'd experienced that first hand back when Jake was recovering from a nasty fight with a certain vampire. I shuddered just thinking about it.

"I'm suddenly not hungry" I said, gasping for air once we'd been forced to break apart or risk suffocation. Jake caught a strand of my hair and gently tucked it behind my ear, his finger lingering on my cheek.

"Not for food, anyway" He answered and with a wicked grin scooped me up in his arms and headed towards the stairs.

* * *

Finally, chapter 1- albeit a pretty uneventful chapter 1- to the sequel to A Lasting Impression. What did you think? Be honest. Anyway, reviews would be reaaaalllyyyy appreciated!! The sooner you review, the sooner I'll update. It'll get better as it goes, promise. And thanks for actually bothering to read it!


	2. Chapter 2

I'd been waiting for the day the somewhat perfect summer weather would cave under the ominous rain clouds always hovering over Washington. And when that day finally came, it came hard. The wind howled, branches scraped against my window. Rain pelted the roof and the glass, sounding for anything like there were a million Jakes outside throwing rocks. Lightning lit up the room as thunder made it shake, reverberating through my entire body.

It was by far the worst storm I'd ever seen, let alone been in and for a brief second, it felt like the roof was going to be torn away and the house would go spinning into complete darkness. I suddenly knew exactly how Dorothy felt and didn't hold the fact that her best friend was a dog against her.

I curled up under my sheets, alone and wishing I wasn't, debating on whether or not I should bother Jake with my stupid fears. He'd probably laugh... or cry, whichever seemed more fitting. After the year I'd had, a little rain should be nothing- though "little" is a loose interpretation. But he was on shift that night, like UPS. Rain or shine… in a sense.

_He's probably having the best night of his life,_ I thought and it was probably true. Just imagine, a seventeen year old werewolf jumping in mud puddles. How fun.

A sudden crash made me jump, hand slapped over my own mouth. Dad was two doors down, most likely sleeping through the maelstrom outside his window. I envy his seemingly unique ability to not let anything short of complete world annihilation disturb his beauty sleep.

All sound was drowned out by the heavy rain, the loud thunder and the rip of branches and trees. I was almost positive that it was all my super sensative ears could handle until something much louder penetrated through all the other noise. What was it? I sat for a while, trying to figure it out, ignoring the steady thump of my heart in my throat. Then it hit me.

Silence. I'll never be able to go to a library again if the quiet seemed so much stranger than the chaos.

The rain had quieted so suddenly, like Leah's shifting moods, the thunder wasn't quite as rumbling. It was as if mother nature had flipped the switch and off went the storm. Yet somehow, the air felt heavier than before, pushing down on me as I pretty much cowered in my bed.

Hesitantly, I slipped out of my cozy cocoon of blankets, flinching when my bare feet hit the cold floor. I made a mental note to buy a carpet and slowly inched towards the window. If Quil could only see me now, though it was a gift from god he couldn't. It would be endless torture from here on out. Still, I crept slowly and quietly, placing my feet in all the right places.

Why did this all seem so familiar? What was with the sudden Deja Vu? A floorboard creaked way too loudly in the after storm stillness, making me jump then laugh at how stupid I must look. Tomorrow morning, I was definitely erasing all the late night HorrorFests on my TiVo, as tragic as Jake might find it.

Thunder rolled as I reached the window and peered outside, my heart giving a little leap at the sight of what Jake was out in. Happily or not. My eyes scanned the wreckage, the bent trees and torn branches. I saw all of it and yet none of it as the hairs at the back of my neck stood on end. My sight sharpened and my ears pricked, I had to bite down the urge to phase into my wolf form.

There was something out there in the destroyed bit of forest that was my backyard. Call it canine instincts but I could feel that there was something not…_normal_ hiding out in the shadows.

And it was watching me.

Throwing open the window proved to be a bad idea when water and wind came gushing in. Sticking my head out of it was worse. My hair whipped into my face and I knew it was laughing, whatever "it" was. It laughed because it could see me, but I couldn't see it. Then again, I could barely see two feet in front of my face so the chances of me actually looking at it were slim. Still, I squinted into the shadows, my heart beat picking up speed in my throat.

_I should call Jake, I should phase and call out to him._ The wind howled but the sound was much more alive, sounding for anything like the cry of a wild animal… like a wolf. I stretched further out of the window, not caring about my tank top being soaked through, and listened.

It came again, low and haunting, not a howl I knew. Nobody I knew. And again, seconds later. It sent a strange thrill through me, not the kind that a kiss from Jake did, but a thrill none the less. Like a familiar voice. One I wasn't completely sure I liked.

The branches creaked under the strain from the wind, the sound of the waves on the cliffs way off in the distance carried over. I blinked to clear my eyes and when I opened them, my entire body went cold. As ice. A single pair of glowing gold eyes shone through the shadows of the forest, focused completely on me. Two golden dots in the darkness and I could just imagine the body they were in.

I slammed the window shut as lightning flashed, shivering despite my body temperature. I didn't care about my sleeping father, or the steadily picking up rain. The thunder barely made a sound. All I could see were those gold eyes, still staring straight at my window from below. As I watched, they moved, circling to a better position. For observing.

_This puts new standards to the term "stalker", _I thought, my teeth chattering. Almost like an answer, it howled, long and sad. It cut straight through me. And if I wasn't mistaken it was… closer?

Backing away from the window I wished for the second time in one night that Jacob was there with me- protective and warm and strong. But he wasn't. He was out there… with whoever wanted to come in _here. _Wasn't that just wonderful? Yet another thing to worry about, though Jacob is more than capable of not getting himself seriously wounded again.

Lightning cracked right outside my window, the sound of breaking wood following shortly after the blinding light. The heavy thud of a branch hitting the ground- and hopefully the wolf outside- reached my ears. Another tree down.

But one more sound filtered up to me. The scrape of claws on the back porch, sticking deep in the wood. The howl again. My heart beat so fast it made the rest of my body shake and I wasn't even ready to begin thinking about what excuse I would give my father about the scrapes on the porch. The night had started out so peaceful and now? Someone was coming after me. Not even a month into summer.

My knees hit the edge of my bed, forcing me to sit. There was a soft thud from outside, then the steady creak of the tiles, the ceiling boards bending under a weight too heavy to support.

Thunder, lightning, I felt like I was stuck in the classic Frankenstein movie. A shadow was thrown across the floor and I gave up all hope of swallowing, a lump the size of a small country lodged in my throat. Then, my mind barely processing, the gold eyes, now set in a large hairy face, peered in at me.

Complete breakdown of the nervous system. Goodbye normal summer, goodbye peaceful days with my boyfriend.

The eyes were too keen to be wild, the smell too groomed. This was a werewolf but not one I knew, and not one I wanted to get to know anytime soon. I couldn't breathe, could barely keep myself from crying out, as the Were stared at me. Where was my foolish bravery when I needed it? Could the Pack hear its thoughts too? Would they be on their way right now?

He, because I could tell it was a he now, gave the lowest howl/bark imaginable, blinking in at me. It almost looked like a regular dog, until I saw the outline of its Buick sized body behind him and snapped back into my senses- which were more like a vague fear induced paralysis. His face loomed closer, his breath fogged the glass.

And just as I was almost positive the rogue wolf would burst through my window, the phone rang, shrill and loud and alarmingly blissful. The gold eyes vanished, thunder boomed, covering any possible sound he could have made, and the ringing cut short when I swiped it off the receiver.

"H-hello?"  
"Cara!" Jake's voice sighed on the other end, by far the most amazing sound I'd ever heard. "Are you okay?"

A million different answers whizzed through my head. The obvious- _NO! I'm not okay! A stranger just tried to come into my bedroom!_ But the possible reactions that would get from my imprint were not good. I probably should have told him, it would be the smart thing to do, but smart didn't always mean it was the best thing.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I asked, though my heart was still racing. If I closed my eyes, those gold ones loomed over me. "Aren't you on shift?"

"Just got off. So you're okay?" I said I was. If he only knew how I really felt- like my life was falling apart all over again. Like as of five seconds ago, my world would relapse into the same frenzy it had just gotten out of. The thought of it alone made me tired.

"Alright, well... I'm exhausted so if you're really okay..."  
"I'm fine. Go to sleep. I love you" And before he could answer I hung up, just in case my mouth decided to spew out everything that had just happened when my mind was too slow to notice it happening.

I crawled back into bed, pulled the sheets tight around me and stared up at the ceiling as the rain started to pick up yet again. I wasn't sure if the werewolf was still out there and I was in no hurry to find out. If he wanted to sit and stare at my window, that was fine with me- if I didn't think about it too much- just as long as he stayed in the shadows. There was a low, haunting howl that sent shivers up my spine and goosebumps along my arms as my heart sunk into the pit of my stomach.

So much for summer vacation.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry this is so long and that it took so long to get up. And thanks for the reviews so far!

Chapter 3:

"Cara… Wake up…" I was going to kill whoever had decided to deprive me of extra sleep. Because the real world was just not something I was ready to face yet.

I groaned and rolled over, dragging the sheet up and over my head. There was a soft chuckle and if I wasn't currently mad at being disturbed, I would have smiled. His warm hand rested on my back, trailing slow circles that sent shivers up my spine even through the blanket and my shirt. Ugh. Why is it impossible to stay mad at him? Easy, because when he does stuff like that it short-circuits my entire thinking process so I don't remember to be angry.

"Alright, I'm up" The sheet drew back and Jake was there. Grinning that big grin that was so much a part of him, you could see it even when he was a wolf. It's hard not to smile back- no matter how tired you are.

"There you are. I was beginning to wonder if you had gotten sick of me" As if that were a remote possibility. That would be like getting bored of the entire right side of my body. And to show him just how stupid that was, I sat up, linked my hands behind his neck and kissed him. For a second, I even think he might have been caught breathless.

The little burst of victory was just enough to wake me up. If the kiss didn't do it first.

I held up a finger to tell him one minute, then hopped up, grabbed a pair of shorts and a shirt that I wasn't even sure matched, then ran to the bathroom. My shower was beyond cold but to me it was warm. I brushed my teeth in record time, while also trying to comb my hair. Didn't work out too well but whatever. When I came bursting back into my bedroom- my clothes actually managing to work out- Jake was standing with his back to me, looking out the window. For some reason, I knew that was bad, but couldn't remember why.

"What happened to the porch?" He asked and for a second I was confused. What was he talking about? Then I remembered the scraping sound, the eyes relfected by moonlight. It took me a minute to swallow since my throat had gone completely dry.

"Uh, I don't know. Probably the storm last night" I said, praying he couldn't hear the nervous tension in my voice. It's been proven that I'm not the best liar, but occasionally, luck works my way.

Jake turned back to me, his eyes almost black at first, until he smiled again and they lightened to brown. My heart rate decreased back to under 200. he'd believed which was both good and bad. Maybe today was my lucky day.

"Ready to go?" I froze halfway to my closet, and turned back around. In two strides Jake was at the door, hand held out to me with an expectant look on his too perfect face. His shaggy dark hair seemed especially shaggy that morning and an insane desire to run my fingers through it took over for a second.

"Go where?" I asked. My mind was still hazy after last night, bits and pieces flooding back to memory and they were the parts I didn't like. I was two steps behind everything today and I could tell that Jake had noticed.

"To the airport? To pick up my sisters?... You forgot, didn't you?" It was obvious that I didn't have to answer that. I just sort of stood there, looking dumb and slow and on the verge of a breakdown.

I felt Jake wrap his arms around me, felt his shoulders shake as he tried not to laugh too much at the probably embarrassing expression on my face. So much for my lucky day, it had gone back to hating me. He pulled away, stroked hair out of my face and fought back a smile.

"Please, _please_, do not have a major anxiety attack right now. It is no big deal"

"No big deal? Meeting the rest of your family is no big deal. Right. Yeah, sure" I said and regretfully slid out of his hold. I pulled on my shoes, walked out into the hallway and turned back. "And I do not have anxiety attacks… _often_"

His silence said everything.

--

Turns out, Quil was coming too, for reasons unknown. We pulled off my street and headed towards First Beach. The Rabbit rumbled underfoot in that way that seemed so familiar now. Sitting in a quiet car might freak out me too much. The windows were rolled way down, the sun was shining on me, warming my face and shoulders. It was almost easy to forget about the "incident" at my own window last night. The chill had almost vanished.

I glanced over at Jacob, my heart swelling at the sight of him. He held my hand as he drove, his dark hair rustling in the wind. In that instant, I made up my mind. I wouldn't tell Jake about last night, instead I'd just take care of it myself. I was capable, I was strong. It would be easy and prove that I didn't need Jake around to protect me. Lying to myself was a bit harder.

The Rabbit pulled up outside of Quil's two story house. His wrap around porch was never used for anything except decoration, the christmas lights never really came down. Either because nobody was ever home, or because it was raining. Still, it added a certain something to the house in general. Made it seem lived in, I guess.

Jake honked, waited… honked again, waited then rolled his eyes and hopped out. He trudged up the stairs, hands buried in his pockets, and rang the doorbell. Barely a second later, it burst open with Quil flying out. As they headed back towards the car, the hair at the back of my neck stood on end. The feeling of being watched crept up my spine so quickly, it almost came out of nowhere. I turned away from Quil's confused look at whatever Jake had said to him, to look out at the shadowed, green forest.

I couldn't see anything at first, just trees and leaves and moss and dirt but I peered closer with my sensitive eyes and saw it. The faint outline of a wolf. The Rabbit jumped and gleaming eyes flashed just like I'd seen them do last night. I temporarily forgot to breathe.

"Hey, Cara!" Quil said as he opened the back door. Could he smell him? The other wolf, I mean? Maybe if he had been paying attention but that usually only happens around food, girls, or action movies featuring Jet Li.

Jake didn't show any sign of noticing either, just slid the car into gear and pulled off. In the rear view mirror, I could still see his massive outline, the broad shoulders barely concealed by the shadows.

"Hey" I turned to Jake, who looked at me, his eyes asking what was wrong. I smiled and shook my head, trying to ignore Quil as he leaned into the front to mess with the radio. Unfortunately, the only stations around here were static, static, and static.

The possibilities were endless.

--

"You're sure you're okay?"

It was about the billionth time Jake had asked that question in a record breaking three hours and after about the fifth time, I'd given up answering. Instead, Quil had taken that honor upon himself in the bright, noisy airport.

"While I'm sure Cara appreciates your concern, she's _fine!_ Stop making my ears bleed" Jake's best friend ran his hands through his hair, making it stick up at odd angles. He'd actually bothered to wear a shirt today, a shock among others.

The first and most important being waiting in the airport for two people who were bound to make my life a huge living hell. Secondly, the little problem of the werewolf stalking me at night- and now apparently during the day too. Or would those two be better reversed? My own personal safety is probably more important than humiliation and awkward tension.

Jake's hand was like a physical reminder of my guilty conscience. His fingers laced with mine, the heat that radiated off of him were all weighing on my shoulders as the good angel battled the evil one.

_Tell him-_the good one said. _No don't, he doesn't need to know, you can handle it_- the evil one shot back. A war was waging in my head and all I could think about was the feeling of my hand in his… I tried to ignore the ring altogether.

A crackled announcement erupted on the PA system in the Seattle airport. Flight from Hawaii now landing.

"So… Rachel and Rebecca?" I shifted from foot to foot, my anxiety starting to kick. Meeting new people is not one of my better attributes. In fact, I borderline mental breakdown when someone even mentions meeting someone new- even if they happened to be related to my boyfriend.

"They're pretty rad" Quil said, rocking back on his heels, hands shoved in his pockets. I glanced at Jake who just rolled his eyes with a rueful smile probably meant to be reassuring but far from it.

"You'll be fine" He leaned down to whisper in my ear, before planting a soft kiss on my forehead that sent shivers down my spine. His red-brown eyes were particularly reddish, but I noticed the dark patches under them. As if he hadn't gotten any sleep.

The doors opened into Gate 12, people started rushing out into the terminal and my heart started beating like crazy. Would they like me? Or would it be hate at first sight? They'd try to make things embarrassing, that's what siblings did, right? People were crying, laughing, waving. There was all around joy to be had, but I wasn't sharing in any of it.

A sudden feeling, like eyes watching me, crept up on me for the second time in one day and I whipped around just in time to see what I would swear was the flash of green eyes and curly brown hair. A chill set in. I gripped Jake's hand tighter.

"Jake!" A very soft, airy voice- nothing like Jake's- called above the crowd and oh-so-slowly, my head spun back around to see Jacob's sisters, Rebecca and Rachel, come strolling up to us, one of them carrying a small backpack.

My hand, still locked with Jake's, went flying up as he went to wrap his arms around one of his sisters. I was pulled along and wound up tangled in a half hug, a smother fest I couldn't get myself out of. His grip was like a vice but when I looked at him, I almost couldn't breathe.

He looked at the girls- women actually, I remember him saying one was married- with so much love and admiration every word I'd thought of saying just got caught in my throat. And they looked back with exactly the same look. They had the same red-brown eyes, dark hair, and mahogany skin color. The only difference, besides the obvious genetic kind, was that Jacob was almost seven feet tall and the Twins were barely five foot five.

"Wow… you're huge" Quil said. Blunt as ever. We turned to stare at him and one of the girls, the one the comment was aimed at, threw him one withering glare.

"Yes, Quil. That would be called the miracle of life" she pointed to her stomach which I finally noticed was protruding quite a bit and I decided I liked her. Anyone who can make Quil blush like that had to be a good person.

"Dad's gonna freak out, Becca" Jake threw one arm around Rebecca's shoulders, his hand still holding mine, and turned us around to head towards baggage claim. I nudged Quil's arm with my elbow, grinning just enough to make him blush some more which earned me a very nasty death glare. I smiled at the bragging rights this would earn me with the Pack. Paul would have a feild day.

"Well, he'll have to accept it. I'm not a little girl dressed in the same clothes as her twin anymore. My Mary-Kate and Ashley days are over" She hefted her bag up her arm but Jake took it from her. She gave him a smile that would make anyone want to be her little brother for the moment.

Rebecca's twin, Rachel, was walking a few paces ahead when she caught sight of me, the girl holding that little brother's hand.

"Oh! You must be Cara, right? Jake talks about you all the time" And anyone who wanted to be Jake for the moment quickly changed their minds. The public humiliation was about to begin.

"Uh, hi" I said, silently thanking whatever force out there that had kept my voice from cracking. The Twins stared at me for a second, then burst out laughing, nudging Jake in the ribs and reaching up to tousle his hair… sort of. The height difference did make that somewhat difficult.

"She's cute, Jake. I approve. The way you talked about her I was expecting a greek goddess but I'm glad she's from planet earth" Rebecca came around Jake, who was now blushing like… well like me, and gave me a half hug, as best she could, with a smile that was startling similar to her brother's.

"Yeah, so when's the wedding?" asked Rachel and we froze in our tracks, Jake and I. I shot him a glance, like how much had he _told _them? But he threw one back that was equally as stunned.

"Mmhmm… you have to get married now, you two are perfect together" Rebecca said. "And she'll make the family portrait look way better, not that you're not adorable Jacob"

_Oh_. I sighed with a barely contained nervous laugh, Jake's shoulders eased up noticably. They didn't know, they were joking. One possible disaster side stepped. As we headed toward baggage claim, my hand wound up in Jake's again and his thumb stroked the ring that I'd switched to my right hand but belonged on my left.

"That was close" He whispered. Rachel and Rebecca had moved nagging Quil about his fashion sense but he tried to defend his honor. Really, they were just like Jake. Joking and light hearted. I liked them more and more each second and the dread I'd felt was evaporating. I squeezed Jake's hand just because I could and nobody else.

"Excuse me" A hand clamped down on my shoulder, a voice so deep it rumbled spoke and I had to fight the urge to scream, turning around like any sane person instead. "You dropped this"

A man with curly brown hair, green eyes, and just barely tanned skin stood in front of me, a wallet in his hand… my wallet. I checked my pocket and it wasn't there but I had a funny feeling I hadn't just dropped it in the middle of the airport. That's not something you don't notice. The man smiled, showing perfect straight teeth, and held his hand further toward me.

"Thanks.." I said and when I grabbed it, our fingers just brushed. Instantly, every red flag went up in my brain, all the alarms were blaring. _Don't trust him_, they were saying. I felt like I'd already met him but before I could say anything, he was gone, vanishing in the crowd as if he'd never been there to begin with.

"Well, he was nice, I guess" Jake said. He tugged me along while I stared at my wallet. It was mine alright, but the weird thing was… I'd left it on my desk that morning, right next to my watch and the popcorn I'd eaten last night. I suddenly realized that I had met him before, just not on human grounds.

"Yeah…" He was so nice, he'd gone out of his way to let me know he was watching me. He was so nice, he'd almost burst into my bedroom last night. He was so freaking nice, he had followed me from the moment I left the house that morning. I had a feeling he wouldn't stop being so nice until I put a stop to it myself, yet again.

We made our way through the airport but the "watched" feeling never fully left me. People bustled all around, nudging us, bumping into my shoulder. A face passed before I had even really looked at it but I knew exactly where _he_ was in the crowds.

My lone wolf was nice enough to stalk me. But not for long.

--

Review please, thanks! Sorry if you hate it, I do anway. Grrrrrr


	4. Chapter 4

For the record, my Jacob Black is and always will be Steven Strait, not the guy they casted. Just like to put that out there... and sorry for the wait!

* * *

The first step of plan Get Rid of Strange Stalker Werewolf was to wait. I sat under the window, as the rain lightly pattered against the glass. My sneakers were laced up; my best outing clothes were on, which really meant grungiest. You had to be prepared when facing a member of the supernatural. I was ready for him this time and I would not, I repeat, would not, shriek like there were monsters in the closet.

That was silly. They were at my window.

I hadn't told Jake, which was probably dumb on my part. In fact, sitting under my window waiting for a trespassing wolf to show up, I was really regretting that I hadn't told my Second-in-Command werewolf imprint boyfriend/secret fiancé.

It was just that smile. The one he was probably sharing with his sisters and his father right now as I did one of the dumbest things I'd ever done. I could just see it slipping away, his smile, as I said the words out loud- that there was a lone werewolf stalking me at night... and day as the case may be. Once Jake smiled, I never wanted him to stop, which he inevitably would once he found out. In fact, his face would probably be twisted in a permanent snarl until that werewolf was taken out. And I don't mean to lunch.

I pitied the poor guy, really, putting aside everything. I was also way too curious to meet him, once the initial shock and fear had subsided. Here he was, another lone werewolf just like I had been. Without a pack, presumably, wondering from place to place. But that just raised more questions like how had he found me? Was he even looking for me? Why was he here? All of the answers were of course unknown in my twisted little world.

Hence me sitting under my window, waiting. The first step was underway. I was determined to figure it out, figure him out and then get rid of him and not by ending his heartbeat but just by politely leading him off our territory. If I really took the time to think about it, my plan was doomed for disaster, but I'd tackle that dilemma as it came.

So I sat… and sat… and sat. The clock went from 9p.m. to 12p.m. without me even noticing and my eyes started to droop. Maybe I'd missed him? Maybe it was just a one time thing and he'd left already… yeah, he left right after he stole my wallet and then handed it to me in the middle of an airport after following me from a distance. I hadn't even officially met him yet and already he was getting on my nerves.

I was just getting ready to kick off my shoes and crawl happily into bed to dream of things not relating to _him_ when a howl sounded. Right in my backyard, proving that I hadn't missed him after all. I wasn't sure whether I should be happy or scared, so I settled with frazzled. Adrenaline started pumping into my system, making my heart race. I rolled onto my knees and peered over the edge of my window sill, barely able to swallow with my throat so dry.

There he was circling in the yard, his eyes trained on my closed window. I could see him better with the moon out, the lack of a tropical storm also helping, and could see his sleek dark coat, the glint of huge fangs in his jaw, and the massive set of his shoulders. Triple the width of my own as a wolf.

_Come on, phase back_. I thought, suddenly wanting nothing more than to just see what he looked like as a human, if his eyes were really as green as they'd been in the airport. I blinked and he was gone, the faint rustle of something moving in the bushes the only sound.

Seconds ticked by slowly, my heart beat steadily increased, and it felt like I was waiting on the edge of me seat despite the lack of an actual chair. It seemed like the sky was darkening, the moon was swelling behind the clouds, everything glowed in the eerie light and then the rustling stopped. All was silent for a minute, time stood completely still, and then a figure was standing where the wolf had just been.

"I know you're watching" His voice carried up to me, dark and smooth, and I jumped. I bit my lip to keep quiet but he must have heard anyway. A low chuckle echoed in the quiet. "Might as well come out and say hello"

Instead of doing what I'd actually planned on doing, I whipped around and threw my back against the wall, ducking completely out of sight. Hiding. This was an immensely bad idea, one I knew I was going to regret. Stupid, Cara! I thought, throwing a glance at the phone. It wasn't too late to call Jake, send him running over but the thought of him getting into a fight with that guy, even as humans, just wasn't worth the safe feeling. This was up to me. My plan and I had to follow through.

If I could just get myself to come away from the border of hyperventilation.

I took two deep, long breaths, letting the oxygen fill my lungs and wondered why in the hell this had seemed like a good idea ten minutes ago. And why I had listened to my own stupid self. Then I pushed myself up into a semi standing position and opened the window, a crack at first, then all the way.

Possible mistake number one, as I'd learned from all those horror movies Jacob makes me watch. Never open the window. You're basically inviting the killer to come on in, make himself at home and then... oh, yeah. Kill you.

But he was gone, my rogue. There was nobody standing in my backyard, just shadows and trees and grass that whispered in the breeze. My heart beat slowed down and spiked at the same time as I thought of all the possibilities. Was he gone or just waiting to take advantage of the naïve girl's mistake? Funny, but my conscience was more leaning toward the second one.

Possible mistake number two, leaning somewhat out the window to get a better look. That's always when the hero gets grabbed or beheaded or something equally as not good. However, my thought processing as of late wasn't functioning up to par so I edged forward until the entire upper half of my body was hanging out of my room.

"Or I could come in, if you prefer?" I let out a barely concealed scream and my head jerked to the right. My entire nervous system had temporarily shut down at the sound of his gravely voice.

He leaned against my window frame, which jutted out from the roof, one elbow propped against it, the other hand shoved into his dark, denim pant pocket. He looked every bit the cocky guy, right down to his patent leather shoes and all the way up to his carefully arched eyebrow. His eyes were actually green in the faint half-moon light.

For a minute we just sort of stared at each other, assessing the possible enemy. Or in my case, flat out gawking at the -sadly- very attractive guy right outside my room. He didn't look evil, conceited maybe, but not kill your cat evil. Our eyes stayed locked together.

"Are you going to make me wait outside?"

His green eyes darted around my room, leaving me with a slightly violated feeling. There was nothing embarrassing left lying around in my plain, old room just the typical bed, dresser, desk and closet. And yet I somehow felt like he had simultaneously learned each and every one of my darkest secrets with that single, swift glance. It was stupid, and I knew it, but I felt that I needed to explain myself, why my room was a complete mess, until I realized who I was looking at.

"Are you going to kill me in my sleep?" I asked, only partly joking. He seemed to think it was funny because his eyes sparked in a way that was all too familiar and he gave off that deep, throaty chuckle.

"That's not part of my job" He replied before silently slipping through my window. I gulped when his shoulder gently brushed mine and every nerve ending in my body sparked to life. There was something very wrong about that, and very wrong about him.

"I never said you could come in here" My brain was clouded and fuzzy all of a sudden, but enough of it was working to know that it was a bad thing to have this stranger in my bedroom and the shine in his green eyes was too sharp to be good.

"I was never really asking" With an ease and grace that would make anyone jealous, he glided through my room and pivoted on one heel, planting himself on my bed as if he ruled the world, which in his head, he probably thought he did.

In the dim lamplight, I was able to see him better. I noticed the faint gold flecks in his green eyes, his short and curly brown hair, how tan his skin really was. If my every thought wasn't of Jake, if I wasn't overly aware of Jake's presence in the world, the sight of this new guy sitting calmly on my bed would have sent me into a coma of obsession.

"Who are you?" I blurted out. It seemed like an important question after I'd already said it and I allowed myself a silent pat on the back. Still, I hadn't felt so awkward since that sex-ed class in seventh grade. Even after the third school I attended that year, I still wasn't comfortable with the Miracle of Life tape.

"David. You?" David grinned, flashing his straight, white teeth making it clear that was all the info I was going to get.

"Cara…" I said, mentally smacking myself in the head. Here it was- the entire point of my great "plan" and I was royally messing it up. True, I hadn't technically thought this part, the entire communication part, through but I'd assumed that… I don't know. Some twist of fate would give me some clue as to what to do.

And all I could think of was my name. Pathetic, really. Years of starting over and knowing exactly which questions to ask to get to know a person and yet I couldn't think of a single one. So I resorted to the one thing a tongue tied girl can depend on.

Staring.

David walked around the room, picking up my shirts, tossing them to another spot and making the room somehow seem cleaner in the process. He picked up books I read for school, notebooks from last year I hadn't thrown out. But when he picked up a picture of me and Jake a sudden anger flared inside of me and my brain finally started working.

"Why have you been following me?" I asked. I crossed my arms over my chest, wishing he would stop touching my things. If he touched my things, he was touching an extension of myself and it made me squirm in my own skin.

"Why do you think it was me?" He countered, smooth as anything. It took me a minute to pull realize he'd spoken, it was that fast. Like lightning striking and momentarily blinding you.

"You're kind of hard to miss" David didn't know that I actually had missed him, quite a few times. The fact that he really had slipped under my supposed radar wasn't a good sign on my part and it only added my own frustration.

The picture was placed back on my desk and David turned to look at me. Study me actually. His green eyes made me nervous, raking over my entire body a few times before settling on my face. I couldn't meet his gaze, I'd be surprised if anybody could because it pierced right through me.

"Well, I did make it obvious, didn't I?" His eyebrow arched with irony and his eyes sparked like he knew something I didn't. Which was probably true in a lot of ways.

"Doesn't answer my question. Why?" I asked. I hated admitting that I didn't know something, especially in front of him. Just standing around him drove me insane with the need to be better and smarter and more clever.

"Because I had to" was all he said. David reclined on my bed, the same way Jake does, but he looked wrong there. Jake seemed to fit so perfectly like he'd been born to be there, David was too out of place in my average room. He was too wild and yet still too refined. The two contrasted so widely it made something entirely new. And not altogether a good something new.

"Well, I want you to stop" I wasn't sure when I'd ever sounded more pathetic. The time when I'd told my father that the cat we didn't have had spilled all the paint when I was nine or now.

"Like I said, I have a job to do" David replied and it started to really get on my nerves. Would it kill him to give me just one straight answer? Not including his name? My brilliant plan was beginning to go downhill so I changed tactics.

"I don't care about your _job_. Frankly, any job that involves stalking a sixteen year old girl seems kind of disgusting and pervy. So, if you don't want things to get very unpleasant for you, I suggest you get out of our territory" There. I'd tried the good cop, but the bad cop seemed like the better option with him…. Or so I'd hoped.

For a minute, he just stared, his green-gold eyes wide, and then he burst out laughing. I couldn't stop myself from noticing that he had a nice laugh, but I shook my head to get rid of the thought. Anything that cast him in a positive light was bound to make me feel bad, make my genuinely nice side overflow until I caved and let the guy stay. Which he could not do.

"The Forks Police Department is hardly capable of handling me, Cara" A wicked gleam filled his eyes as he spoke, shining even brighter when he said my name. He'd sat up when he'd been laughing, and now he placed his hands on his knees. A cloud passed over the moon, plunging the room in semi darkness. "But I'm not going to hurt you"

"I don't believe you" I said, glad that my voice was under control. David was handsome, that was obvious, but he was dangerous. Anyone who can turn into a wolf is dangerous of course, but even as a human there was just something about him that said danger… trouble it hissed.

He sighed, and stood, shoved his hands into his coat pockets. I stopped pacing and stared at him, he did the same. For a few minutes all we did was watch each other and the sound of the clock ticking away was all you could hear. A floorboard creaked outside in the hall and I jumped at the sound that seemed to loud all of a sudden.

"I won't hurt you" David repeated but this time I almost believed his sincerity, despite the voice screaming in my head not to. "I'd never hurt you"

"I want you gone" I said, in an attempt to stick with my original plan which had turned out to not be as well thought as it could have been. Really, I'd only gotten as far as the first step. And the last, which was getting rid of David and that now seemed to not be happening.

"Sorry, but it's not up to you to say. Though I have to admit, you are just like her"  
"Just like who?"

But twenty questions was up, apparently, and David was perched on the window sill before I could even blink. A breeze carried through the window, bringing his scent, like pine cones and rain, with it. For a second it was all around me, suffocating me, and then it was gone. As quickly as rain clouds gliding through the La Push sky.

"See you around, Cara" David said from the ledge. I had a bad feeling he meant that literally. His teeth flashed in the moonlight, his green eyes sparked. With one easy jump, he flew from the roof to the lawn, landing gracefully on his feet like I had done so many times.

For a while I could do was stare, his scent still lingering in my room, almost overpowering everything else. His job was to watch me? I was like who? Well, wasn't that just fantastic. I'd wanted him answer a few questions at most, then disappear forever, before things got way out of hand. And now?

My plan had gone from Get Rid of Strange Stalker to Befriend the Possible Enemy all in under- I glanced at the clock and sighed- ten minutes. Below, David was making his way toward the shadowed border of trees and paused his graceful lope for just a second. Just long enough to send chills through my entire body, hairline to toes.

"Sweet dreams"


	5. Chapter 5

I was going to post this tuesday but my computer crashed. Anyway, here ya go, hope you like it. Review please!! Thanks

Cara:

_I was running, again. I'm always running in dreams. Maybe I would have taken the time to think about that fact if you know… I wasn't running. Instead, my every thought was focused on getting as far away from whatever was chasing me as fast as possible. It seemed to be working._

_The sound of crashing waves and falling rocks was all around me, but the beach was miles away, the cliffs even further. How could they sound so close? The world was tinted burnt orange in the setting sun light, dying my white fur red. It seemed so empty in the forest, the trees were hallow and dead. I felt really and truly alone, more alone than I think I'd ever been. _

_My foot came up off of soft dirt and came down on hard stone, the setting changed as quickly as my heart was beating. Where am I now? I wondered, but a quick glance around told me. _

_I was in the garage, Jake's garage. The Rabbit's hood was open, the radio blared in the corner and those familiar legs stuck out from under the truck. His whistle filled the air as he worked and for a second it seemed so real, like I was really there with him as I had been so many times, trying to learn the difference between a carburetor and whatever other car part I didn't know._

_So why was I still running? Maybe not physically, but I felt the world spinning by me, whipping past in a slipstream of time. My tail whisked behind me, my ears slicked back and I snarled in anger. I couldn't make it stop. _

"_Cara?" His voice filled my head, but from the outside coming in. It echoed all around me and made my heart jump and flutter. _

_The music suddenly cut off, interrupting the second verse of some Coldplay song mid note. Ticks and pops came from the Rabbit's engine, metal clanged as Jake messed around with something that had a name I'd forgotten the moment he told me. I panted for the breath I'd lost while running from an enemy I didn't know, and my legs felt like caving. _

_I saw two dark hands grip the front fender of the Rabbit, wheels squeaked as Jake slid out from under the truck on the skateboard he used as a trolley. The usual grease stains plus some new ones covered his clothes and hands and his shaggy hair fell into his face. I took a compulsive step forward to brush it aside but realized I couldn't, claws and everything. I whined deep in my throat like a stubborn little kid. _

"_Aw, Cara, love" I waited for those red-brown eyes to look deep into mine, waited for the giddy jittering of my heart at the sight of my one true love, my future. Felt his hands run through my fur, stroking down my spine and back up. "Is it that easy to deceive you?" _

_Wait… what? I opened my eyes, blinked back the haze of dreamland…_

_And I saw that it wasn't Jake at all, though it was his voice I heard. It was David. His green eyes gleamed with mischief, his grin created fear. Before my eyes, he shifted into the dark, sleek wolf I'd seen three times before. It towered over me in a way that was nowhere near the comforting way Jake loomed. He towered to intimidate not protect and I found myself backed into a corner. Where was Patrick Swayze when you needed him? _

"_Is this all I have to do to catch you?" David's voice wasn't smooth and tenured anymore. It growled and boomed like thunder overhead. I felt the garage change around us, felt the feeling of home disappear until I was lost in a forest I didn't know. Stuck with a wolf who was my enemy. _

"_Shame. Cause I love the chase" _

_His claws extended, sharper and longer, his paw drew back and in one swift motion-_

I fell. Right out of bed. My head hit the hard wood floor, still no carpet, and the sheets twisted around my ankles. For a minute I seriously considered just lying there but the thought of the major cramped muscles that would induce made me groan and sit up.

At intervals, the room lit up an eerie green, the numbers on my clock flashing. It was only two a.m. I'd been asleep barely two hours and _that_ thought almost made me want to cry. What could have woken me up? Why had the world granted me the honor of being tossed out of bed? I could just picture my father, snoring two rooms down the hall. Joy.

I stood and balled up the blanket, threw it onto my mattress and went to the window. It was dark, unbelievably dark outside. The sky was almost ink blue it was so dark. The moon was nowhere in sight, only a few stars twinkled. Maybe I was still dreaming after all, maybe I hadn't woken up.

The bump on my head throbbed when I touched it which was probably a sign that I was, in fact, awake. But for some reason, I still felt disoriented, clogged up, dazed. Why?

A sound like a tree falling, snapping from the roots, came echoing out of the darkness. A gunshot in the night. Seconds later, a snarl, a growl, another loud and angry crack. I froze with my eyes glued on the backyard, convinced all of a sudden that I had to be dreaming still. It got quiet, to the point of too quiet, when a body came hurtling out of the trees, fangs and claws out.

I really hoped I was dreaming.

Jake:

There's a point in time where running through the woods at night gets old. That point for me was two nights ago and by now it was ancient. Not even the feeling of phasing, shifting from one form to another, could get me pumped enough for the hunt. And not in the leach form of the word, if that's what you're thinking. When we hunt, it's for a reason, for the purpose of protecting innocent people by tracking down the danger. And getting rid of it.

My foot came down on a sharp rock, a growl escaped my lips before I could stop it. I was too tired, too exhausted from five nights in a row of taking extra shifts. Add twin sisters visiting and I've barely had any sleep for a week. And Cara…

_Jake, I picked up a fresh trail._ Embry's voice flooded my head and seconds later came the corresponding visual. More trees, more forest, but it was a familiar section. A part I walked through too many times to count.

**How fresh?** I asked and started to run, shaking off the now familiar fatigue. The trail was close to Cara's house, leading directly past her backyard. The fact that we'd allowed this guy to get that close pushed me even further, with new determination.

_A few hours at least_.

The forest whipped past me as I ran, picking up speed. My heart was pounding in my ears and the thought of ripping whoever was out there to shreds gave me a weird sense of enjoyment. Embry was circling now in my head, looping closer and closer to my imprint's home. Anger swelled inside of me along with guilt and fear and worry and a whole bunch of other emotions my mind was too preoccupied to think about.

_It's still going… past the yard, Jake_. Now Embry's voice was tense, his feelings started to rush over me in waves. I bunched my legs and poured on more speed, jumping over roots and boulders as if I owned the forest.

**Keep tracking it, I'm almost there**.

The moonlight streaked through the trees in patches, like spotlights in certain places. Sounds from the nighttime creatures were all around me but they recognized that urgency and power and kept out of my way. In seconds, I picked up Embry's scent, and the undercurrent of this new wolf. My jaw locked at the smell, the way my fists would have curled if I looked human.

Cara's house loomed up ahead, like a mile of backyard in between us. I wanted more than anything at that moment to climb up to her room and just be with her, maybe fall asleep with her curled in my arms. That's exactly what I wanted just then, I could almost feel her against me. Until that smell hit me again. Like the worst thing you've ever smelled in the world, but way worse. Possibly worse than a vampire.

A twig snapped to my right but it was just Quil, his scent reaching me first. It was familiar, one I knew like the back of my hand as if he was my brother which he was in almost every sense of the word. His light brown head nodded towards the house I spent most of my time in and I knew he was right. The wolf's scent did venture further toward it, all around it. I'd be willing to bet it was on the back porch and that just drove me even more insane.

_Easy, Jacob. We'll get him and she'll never have worry about it-_**Yeah, I hope. **So I wouldn't have to keep hiding this from her, which had turned out to be so much harder than I'd thought it would be. Almost as hard as convincing myself I didn't love her way back when.

We split up, to cover more ground, scouring every inch for another trace of him. We needed a fresher trail than the ones left to track him down and take him out. Paul's mafia references were starting to rub off me, but I refused to quote Scarface. The line would then be thoroughly crossed.

I crept through the trees, through the shadows with every sense at top notch. I heard an owl six miles away, saw a beetle scramble under a leaf, felt the softest touch of pollen in the air. But still, no wolf. I ground my teeth and looped back towards Cara's house, heard Embry's goodbye before his connection clicked off for the night and just hoped that she was fast asleep, oblivious to all the chaos and trouble we were going to because of this guy. Wished that Cara would never have to worry about anything other than bad weather and test grades for the rest of her life, so badly it made my heart ache.

A soft breeze picked up, carried leaves, and scents with it. Dirt and moss… and _him_. A growl, deep in my throat, escaped my mouth as I turned. My eyes swept the entire area, searching because he was close, hiding. He wasn't afraid, just smug and conceited. And dangerous, I could sense that he was dangerous without ever laying eyes on him.

I hated him even more.

The wind carried from the east, leading me straight to his place of residence. He wasn't visible yet, but he was there- hidden in the shaded shrubbery- his scent covered almost every inch of this part of the woods. For a while, it was dead silent. Not even an animal scurried for cover. Just silence until…

The rustle of leaves to my left, blood pumping in my ears, a twig snapped seconds later. Without waiting for another chance I pounced, my claws slamming into something solid and strong. And huge. The wolf turned, snarling at me, and tried to swipe for my face, just missing by a few inches. I let go of his shoulder and we squared off. Bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase dog-eat-dog.

He was big, dark, and looming over me. It seemed like he was only made of muscle and sinew, and moved more like a cat than a dog. His footing was so careful, so precise, he barely made a sound. Nothing but panting breathe and growls. I'd be jealous if I wasn't pissed.

**Stay away from here,** _her _I meant but it was implied. I wasn't this protective about the _land _for Christ's sake. Besides, I wasn't even sure he could hear me in that dark, self absorbed head of his.

_Why? _Apparently, he could hear me.

His voice wasn't welcome in my head, it felt invading and personal. Nosy. His presence was like a parasite I wanted gone and it would be. No matter what I had to. We circled each other in the dim moonlight, sizing each other up. Weighing the potential opponent. I'd forgotten all about the fact that this was taking place practically in Cara's backyard.

**It's our territory. You're not welcome**. There. I'd be polite at first, sustain some type of civility. But the moment he refused, which I had a feeling he would, all of that would go out the window. I would gladly take the first bite.

_Boundaries never did affect me._ I'm right about things like character, always was. He attacked first , fangs dripping, claws flashing. I'd learned my lesson from the _last_ big fight I was in, and waited for just the right time to strike back. I dodged his first blow, his claws leaving gaping wounds in a tree trunk, and took my chance as he leaned into his swing.

He howled in pain when I bit down, hard, on his shoulder. The coppery taste of blood filled my mouth for an excruciating second and I made myself think of other things, like steak and French fries, Emily's French toast. It almost worked.

I yanked free, spitting out as much of it as I could and grinned at the wolf's limp. He growled pretty impressively but it was clear I had won. I'd sliced right through tendon, dug deep into muscle. There wasn't much he could with a torn up arm. His eyes flashed in the light, reflective like a cat's, filled to the brim with anger. Maybe now he knew how I felt.

_You'll regret that. _He threatened, taking a few steps back, preparing to run for it.

**Doubt it.** I thought and enjoyed the sight of him running so much I laughed, that wheezy, choked out one that was as close as I could get with fangs and an extended jaw line.

I glanced once more at Cara's window just in time to see the curtain flutter and I dodged behind a tree. My heart pounded, more than it had when I was fighting actually. I hoped she hadn't seen me, seen him. I prayed that if anything, her window was open and she was fast asleep, oblivious to the latest threat to the Pack. I risked one more look and sighed as the curtain swayed in the breeze. At least for a little while longer I could keep her out of this.

At least for a little while, I could keep her safe.

--

I'll update soon, well, sooner than I have been since school is practically over and I have the time. Oh, and sorry if there are any grammer or spelling mistakes, they bother me too.


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for reviewing and reading this! I really appreciate it :)

Cara:

I was feeling oddly calm the next morning. As if there hadn't ever been a strange dream, as if I'd actually managed to sleep a full eight hours. I woke up with a weight I hadn't known I'd been carrying lifted off my shoulders and I didn't wind up in a pile on the floor. The big, grey, puffy rain clouds and overcast sky couldn't even keep me down.

My shower seemed perfect, my hair dried straight, Dad had actually remembered to do the laundry and when I came traipsing down the stairs, breakfast was ready and waiting. Two waffles, buttered with syrup, sat on the kitchen counter and my father was reading the newspaper at the kitchen table. The sight was all around enough to make me believe something was seriously wrong. Like maybe the world had ended without me knowing it and this was his apology.

"Good morning" I said, though it sounded more like a question. I slid down onto the old wicker chair and took a hesitant bite of waffle. It tasted non-toxic so far…

"Morning, kiddo" Kiddo? What was the world coming to? He hadn't called me that in… well, he called me that last week. Maybe my paranoia and suspicion were getting the best of me. With a shrug, I dug into my breakfast, special made by Dad and decided that maybe it was just going to be a really good day.

Or so a girl could hope.

"So, the Rangers over at the national park are closing it down for the season. Too many _wolves_ and other _wild animals_ lately…" Dad glanced up at me when he said wolves. His voice was casual but the underlying message in the words made my hand freeze halfway to my mouth. The syrup seemed to be coating my throat suddenly.

_He wouldn't_…

"That's… unfortunate" I said. In an instant my appetite was gone replaced by a nervous fear of what he was going to say next. I could just hear the words he was about to say, as he'd said them so many times before. _Please,_ I silently begged, _please do not bring out the boxes. _

Dad set aside the newspaper which I now realized he probably had never been reading in the first place and folded his hands on the table. All business. I pushed my plate to the center of the table and crossed my arms over my chest. For a while, nobody said a word. This wasn't happening, because in my new world, things like this just didn't happen. Masochistic vampires, sure, but this? Not anymore. My thumb fiddled with the engagement ring on my right hand and images of Jake flashed behind my eyes, causing that annoying ache in my throat.

"This is a warning, Cara. If things get any worse, if the risk of being exposed gets out… you know I don't want to, you know I just want you to be happy-"

"Staying would make me happy. Very happy actually" I cut him off, my voice shook just enough. It was just a warning, a heads up of what would happen if the situation over at the stupid national forest got worse. It wasn't my fault if those hikers got into trouble, if they weren't smart enough to... My hands balled into fists as a thought occurred to me.

_I'm going to kill David_.

"It's just a warning" repeated Dad and the conversation apparently ended because I pushed back my chair, flinching as it scraped against the wood floors, and ran out the back door. It slammed behind me and I jumped at my own anger. David was attacking people and Dad wanted to move us away again. To Alaska, the next option in a list that was getting shorter and shorter.

Like my day, which just kept getting worse and worse. Without glancing back I starting walking, slowly, towards Jake's house, letting my feet carry me along the paths I knew by heart. The sky disappeared behind a thick layer of treetops, a few rain drops made their way down to me through the leaves up above and I wondered if it was really raining heavy. The forest was dim and musty without the sun, my shoes squished in moss and dirt. But none of it really bothered me, just the impending possibility of having to leave and what that would mean.

I couldn't let that happen, couldn't let David go on attacking innocent people. If it got any worse… the thought of leaving behind the one place I'd really called home made my head spin and my heart ache. If it wasn't slightly embarrassing, I might have stomped my foot and thrown a fit to get out of it but the odds of that actually working with my father were practically nil. Not worth the effort.

Before I knew it, I was standing on Jake's porch, my hand outstretched and ready to knock. Or maybe I already had, because a second later, Rebecca swung open the door and smiled with wide, warm brown eyes. I don't think she even cared that I was soaked from head to toe, I'd barely noticed myself.

"Hey, Cara. Jake's still sleeping and we were sort of scared to go in there. No man's land to us, but go on up. Sweeten him up a bit" She winked and I smiled and brushed past Jake's older sister. I'd only just met her, would I have to leave before I really got to know her?

The thought just added to my growing depression.

The stairs creaked under foot, voices and laughter came from the kitchen downstairs and it hit me how much like home the Black house had become. It felt so comfortable and warm to me, it was almost as if I'd never lived anywhere else. I know I didn't want to anymore. My chipper attitude from this morning was gone, replaced by something more somber and anxious but the thought of seeing Jake, after what felt like so long suddenly, quickened my step a little bit.

His room is two sizes too small for a guy his size. His bed made up three quarters to begin with. Add a dresser and a small desk and there was barely any breathing room, but he never complained. When I opened the door, he was sprawled on his stomach, one arm slung over the side of his bed, his dark shaggy hair a mess. I smiled and my heart melted at the sight of him.

"Jake…" I sat on the edge of the mattress and rubbed my hand on his muscular back, felt the heat radiate off of him. I had to hold myself back from curling up next to him, folding into his arms and forgetting about the world. "Jacob"

He's adorable when he's tired. Really. Like a lost puppy realizing where he is. Jake groaned and rolled over, his hand ran down his face as he yawned. I noticed the dark circles under his eyes and worried about what he was _doing_ at night. I brushed hair out of his eyes making him blink when he realized he wasn't alone.

"Christ! You scared the hell out of me" Jake shot upright, brought a hand up to his head. He looked down at his dragon pajamas and flinched. "Wow, this is embarrassing"

Without even thinking about it or caring about his orange dragon pants, I wrapped my arms around him, pressed my face into his solid chest and breathed him in as if I didn't already have him memorized. He froze for a fraction of a second before Jake's arms wound around my shoulders, holding me closer. Suddenly, I wanted to cry, a country lodged in my throat and it was hard for me to swallow. I made a sound like choking as I tried to fight back a sob. If he thought dragon pants were embarrassing, crying was even worse.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked in that husky, deep voice. His hand stroked my hair and I remembered my dream, David's face with Jake's voice. And that just made me cry harder because really, it had been a nightmare, worse than most I'd ever had. "Whoa, I'm not equipped for this, Cara"

"Sorry" I mumbled, rubbing my knuckles over my eyes, cringing as I blushed. I felt Jake's fingers curl around mine, felt him kiss my hands, then my cheeks, and my forehead. Each one chased away the helpless feeling bit by bit.

"Don't be sorry. Just tell me what's wrong" But I couldn't do that, not without making him worry and wear himself out. Not without dragging him into David's world too. I wanted to tell him, but I didn't want to ruin his happiness. It just wasn't fair.

"I missed you" I said instead, and it was true, just not the full truth. I had missed him so much, I realized, that I couldn't even remember the last time I had felt really okay and not on the verge of a breakdown. "I missed you a lot"

For a split second, I noticed something like regret and guilt flash before his reddish brown eyes as if this was his fault, saw the color darken before he blinked it away. His face was a perfect mask of ease. Next thing I knew, I was in his lap, with his strong arms wrapped securely around me like a barricade against the world, soaking in every ounce of warmth I could. It felt like some fight neither of us knew we were having had just ended and everything had gone back to normal. Everything felt suddenly right for a little while.

"I missed you, too, love"

--

By the time I got home that night I was feeling better than I had in a while, having put my conversation with Dad that morning behind me. Seeing Jake always makes the world seem brighter and better, and less filled with mythical creatures who were actually way too real. So, instead of staying out of trouble as my most likely wiser boyfriend had said when I'd been forced to go home after dinner, I went looking for it. That same night.

I opened my window and waited, left the light on so he'd see. I paced, sending shadows flickering. It was a warm night, full of warm breezes and the comforting sound of waves on the cliffs in the distance. If I knew David's character as well as I thought I did, he wouldn't take long to show his conceited face or pass up the chance to ruin such a perfect night. And turns out I was right. ( sorry for the rhyme, just caught it)

At midnight, footsteps thumped on the roof outside. Along with the steady, measured steps, I heard the swish of his long coat and froze with my back to the window. Breath caught in my lungs as I waited a full two seconds. Then his voice filled the room.

"Funny running into you here" said David, my most recent annoyance. I wondered if he would turn into a pumpkin or something, his obsession with showing up at midnight and all. Or maybe he was just a fan of the dramatic which seemed the more likely option. He already turned into something and it was not a pumpkin.

"Whatever you're playing at, stop" I said, cutting straight to the chase. I whipped around and saw his momentarily surprised face back dropped by the black/blue sky and shadowed forest, but it evaporated as quick as lightning, replaced by a smug grin I knew too well already.

"I thought this cat and mouse thing was fun, no?" David sat on my window sill, dangled one patent leather foot over the ledge. His elbow was propped on his other knee, and I wanted nothing more than to slap that falsely innocent grin off his face.

It took some self restraint to keep from actually doing it.

"I mean with the hikers. You can't go attacking innocent people" My teeth were clenched, my voice came out strained. "… or any people actually"

For a second it was dead silent, crickets chirped in the yard and the sound of my heart beating made it seem like there was a pillow over my ears. I jumped when his feet hit my floor with two heavy thuds. With tense shoulders he stepped away from the window, his grin was completely gone.

"I don't know what you're talking about" David's voice was cold as ice. In two strides, he was in my face, so close I could feel his breath when he spoke. Every ounce of whatever light- taunting as it might have been- in his green eyes was gone. "But I don't like being wrongly accused"

"You're not wrongly anything. I know it was you and you better stop" At least my voice was under control. Imagine the humiliation a squeaky, cracked voice would get me. But my heart was starting to pick up speed, starting to hammer in my rib cage at the sight of a very angry werewolf.

The look David gave me was enough to kill. His green eyes darkened from grass green to forest green. For a minute we just stood in silence, tense and angry- and partially scared on my side of the emotional line. I'd forgotten that this wasn't a friend of mine, but a werewolf I didn't know, someone who would have no problem killing me right here and now. Was "oops" an accurate enough expression for this situation? My sources said no.

"You don't know nearly as much as you give yourself credit for, Cara. In fact, you know nothing about me" said David in a deep, growling voice that sounded so much like it had in my dream. I shuddered remembering it and for the first time, considered the possibility that David _hadn't _some hikers...

_Right, and I'm Oprah._

"I know enough. You're the only one around who could have done it" I countered, hoping that there weren't any more vampires I didn't know about. I'd had my fill last winter and didn't need anymore bloodsuckers for at least the rest of my life.

"That's where your wrong, sweetheart. I'm nowhere near the only one" David snarled the "sweetheart" making me hate how it sounded and he stormed to the window, his coat snapping out behind him. He swung out onto the roof in one graceful motion before whipping back around to throw me the deadliest glare ever. People in Tibet could have felt it's after shock. "Get your facts straight before you go throwing accusations. At least _she_ has enough decency to do that"

Before I could say another word, or process his own, he was gone, silent as a shadow, disappearing into the night. My hand clutched the back of my chair, I felt woozy and sick as his words came floating back. He wasn't the only one? There were more? And I still didn't know who_ she_ was. This wasn't something I could fix on my own apparently, not that I'd been doing a stupendous job anyway. And now, on top of having a dangerous werewolf mad at me, my dad was set on moving us away if there was even the slightest trouble from the supernatural front, which I had feeling there would be judging by David's dramatic exit. With a heavy sigh, I threw myself down onto my bed and stared at the ceiling as the sound of my heart faded, replaced by the steady chirp of the crickets.

It was just a migraine and heartbreak waiting to happen.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Cara:

I was just eating breakfast after a long, sleepless night of tossing and turning when Quil burst into my kitchen, interrupting what should have been my mostly thought-free meal of waffles and apple juice. The fork was halfway to my mouth, my left hand curled around the cold glass of juice, which I hadn't even had a sip of yet, when the door flew open with so much force it hit the wall behind it. The cabinets shook and glass rattled.

"I'd like my house to not fall down on top of me, thanks" I said with a long look in the boy's direction. My comment went unheeded though.

Quil huffed in more oxygen than humanly possible, standing shirtless in the doorway; for once it seemed like he couldn't speak. Normally, on such an occasion, I might have jumped for joy, called the Guiness Book of World Records, maybe thrown a party, but just this once I had a bad feeling that there was a reason behind his panting breath and silence, his mouth gaping as he tried unsuccessfully to speak. Besides… it was too early for any celebrating.

"Quil?" I pushed back my chair, half ready to catch him if he passed out, just to be practically man-handled out the door. The half-naked boy grabbed my shoulders and shoved, slamming the door behind us without even muttering a word. Not even a "Hey, good morning, I'm going to attack you now"

Despite the fact that I was being forcibly dragged out of my house, it seemed like a generally nice day out. Blue skies and white clouds. Another summer day in La Push. Quil tugged my collar again, dragging me into the first layer of forestry, and I gagged, realizing that even though the weather was nice, my day seemed to be getting worse. I could feel the urgency in his stride, the tension in the air that was warm and gentle on my skin. The sun beat down on us we hiked through the trees.

"You… really need… a cell phone" He finally managed to say, glaring down at me. In the afternoon sunlight, his brown hair had flecks like highlights in it, his russet skin looked flushed.

"I know, I keep asking my dad, but he doesn't-" I pulled myself free of his iron grip, taking a deep breath for the first time.

"We can talk about the annoyingness of your dad later, we have to get to Sam's" Quil's voice was tense and stiff, like his shoulders. He marched ahead, not waiting for me to walk with him. I'd never seen Quil act like this- serious. It sort of freaked me out. I glanced behind us, saw my house slowly getting smaller in the distance. Grimaced when I pictured my untouched breakfast on the table.

"Well, where's Jake? What happened?" I caught up to Quil, who was really moving through the underbrush. In seconds, he had made it twenty feet ahead of me. I realized suddenly that Jake could be hurt again, or worse and an insane panic took over, squeezing my chest under invisible pressure. I forced my shorter legs to move faster.

"Nothing, he's fine. I had to come cause they wouldn't let us call" He said, still marching on in a steady stride, not pausing or waiting for me. I was really struggling and my patience level was diminishing. That was it. He couldn't just burst into my house, drag me out literally by my collar and not tell me anything! Before he could take another step, I jumped in front of me and slammed my palms into his shoulders, forcing him to stop even for a second.

"They who?"

--

They appeared to be something unreal. Real as you and me, but unreal none the less. We trudged through the sand and plants bordering Sam and Emily's home, brushed aside the low-hanging leaves of the willow trees and stepped into the familiar clearing of the Pack leader's property. Which was where I froze, stuck in my own shock, surprise and a million other emotions not really categorized as expressions.

There were at least twenty of them, some as wolves, others as humans- all adults. Small or large, they all seemed threatening as they turned as if on queue to stare at us with eyes filled with something like contempt. Children of the Corn came to mind. Compared to them, even Jake looked like a cute little puppy dog. Their fur varied from black like Sam's to fluffy brown like Paul's and even one white one, like me. It's eyes locked on mine and a funny sort of shiver shook through me.

"Um… Quil?"  
"Ssh…" He hushed me, grabbed my hand and dragged me toward the house. For once I didn't mind.

We pushed our way through to the front steps, between the wolves and the people all crowded around my Pack leader's house, standing in tense silence as if waiting for the order to attack. I could hear raised voices coming from inside the small home where just three days ago I'd been playing cards.

"-not a chance in hell" That was Jake, his shout made me jump. A soft voice responded but I couldn't hear the words. I'd never heard him sound that angry before. My heart started thudding against my rib cage, making it feel like my entire body was shaking.

Quil and I tripped up the steps, conscience of the people watching our backs. In two strides we were at the door- I tried to avoid glancing back at the crowd of people, but felt my eyes straying anyway, silently counting the numbers. More shouts, another quiet reply, and still my blood pressure steadily rose. Then the door pushed open-

And there was complete silence. The calm before the storm.

Nine pairs of eyes turned to stare at us, the apparent intruders on this very cozy and contained conversation. Quil slipped by me after a second, under the radar since I seemed to be the focus of their attention all of a sudden. I automatically searched out Jake and met his gaze while trying not to turn on my heel and race home. His red-brown eyes were the color of black coffee, wild and angry and as soon as he saw me, a deep pain rushed through them. Enough to make my arms want to reach out and hug him all on there own.

Sam sat at the table across from a woman I had never seen before, the Pack- plus Emily- backing him while the woman had just one companion. There was something about her, something I couldn't quite figure out… like returning to a place you'd visited as a baby with a distant yet distinct feeling that you'd been there before. Her skin was the same russet color as all the La Push inhabitants, a few shades darker than my own. Her hair curled down her back, her eyes the same dark color of coco. And she wouldn't stop staring at me.

"Well. The star of the show has finally graced us it seems" The man behind her said. It took me a minute to realize I'd heard that voice, another minute to process his face. My eyes dragged upward, saw the curly hair and light eyes and I had to fight the urge to gasp. It was… David? What was he doing here? Then I remembered our conversation and knew that he'd been right. I didn't know nearly as much as I gave myself credit for.

He seemed way too pleased about it too.

"Be quiet, David." If I thought her face was familiar, her voice just about sent me reeling into a memory induced coma. Her gaze was still steady on me, her brown eyes sad and longing. The next thing she said was only my name, but it held a certain meaning it hadn't before. "Cara"

"Do I know you?" I asked, momentarily forgetting about a little thing called manners, not caring either way. The sound of my voice seemed to snap everyone into action. Like a great gong sounding, turning off the pause button and switching to fast forward.

Jake growled, low and throaty, sending a fierce glare in Quil's direction and was in front of me in seconds, angry heat radiating off of him. He took hold of my hands and stood blocking the woman- and David- from view. Which was just fine with me. My mind was still reeling that David had been telling the truth and those brown eyes were too unsettling.

"I can't believe he brought you here" Jake muttered, sending one more dagger to Quil, who flinched and pointed to Sam.  
"He told me to, man" Which in turn got another glare from Sam. Poor Quil.

"Why? What's going on? Who are all those people?" I asked question after question, barely managing to stop myself as the words gushed out of my mouth. I wasn't sure who I was asking, nobody seemed to know the answer. My eyes darted to David, who grinned back at me smug as ever.

Jake ignored me though as he tried to usher me towards the door. I knew that look, the determined set to his shoulders. I'd studied him enough times to know his behavior. He was being protective, he was on guard. And it made me nervous and anxious and a whole bunch of other emotions not even worth mentioning. Mostly confusion and a desperate need to know the truth. I felt David's stare and heard the laughter he kept inside.

"Nobody, Cara. Come on, I'll take you home" He held on tight to my arm and tugged me forward but I pulled out of his grasp knowing he'd never make me do anything I didn't want to. I should have known then to let it go, to just allow him to drag me way back home to safety and chores. I should have known, but sometimes, I just sort of forget to think.

"I can take myself home. What I want is to know what's going on" I demanded.

Nervous glances, a pained expression on my fiancés face and still the steady and stunned gaze of that woman, sitting with her fingers laced on the table top. I couldn't look at her for too long without shivering as if I'd seen a ghost.

"Cara… please, I don't want you to get hurt" begged Jacob, voice low, his eyes silently pleading with me to follow him out that door. And boy, should I have. Like Amy Winehouse should have gone to rehab, I should have listened to Jake. But turns out we both said no. And the outcome was not so good.

"What are you _talking _about?!" I was on the point of almost shouting, but barely keeping my voice in check. I could do it, come on Cara. Just breathe. His glance wavered, flickered over my shoulder and I whipped around just to see all the steady, unflinching gazes of the other Pack outside. I gulped before turning back around.

The woman stood, slowly, and David sort of straightened up as if in the presence of royalty. After closing his eyes for the briefest second, Jake stepped up, wrapped my hand in his and squeezed. I barely managed to swallow as I realized maybe this wasn't such a good idea, in fact it could have been an immensely _bad _one. It was too late now.

"Cara. It's been so long" She said and something in the back of my mind clicked, just a little bit. One piece of a puzzle. Each word was another piece, slowly sending my life spiraling. "You look so beautiful… so much like your father"

"Who_ are_ you?" I asked, because I didn't get it yet. I didn't know when to just shut up and leave it all alone.

Maybe I could have prevented everything by just leaving with Jake five minutes ago. Or maybe that would have made everything just ten times worse. I'd never find out though because it was already set in motion. Before the woman, who apparently held so much authority she could keep _David _in check, opened her mouth, I already knew what she was going to say.

"I'm your mother, dear"

REVIEW!! Dun,dun,dun!


	8. Chapter 8

Review please! and I'll love you forever!!...and ever... and maybe ever.

Chapter 8:

Jake:

Every emotion imaginable flashed across Cara's face, her blue eyes piercing. My heart thudded in my chest, pounding so hard it was difficult to breathe as I watched her process those words. I stood frozen between her and the others, my shoulders tense and jaw clenched, not really knowing what to do to prevent what was going to happen next.

"What?" Her voice was barely a whisper, dripping with doubt. In a weird way it made me feel better, that she didn't believe this woman who was so much like her I already knew it was true. Cara glanced at me with confused eyes and I took her hands in mine.

"Cara-"I wasn't sure what I was going to say, her name seemed like a good enough start but the rest just froze in my throat.

Here it was, the one thing I'd been working to prevent, and it just seemed to be getting worse by the second. An insane amount of guilt swept through me as I watched her watch this woman who'd just said she was her dead mother. I should have been able to stop this, protect her and the fact that I hadn't been able to made my heart wrench in my chest. I felt Cara's hand tighten in mine almost as if _she _was trying to encourage _me_, felt it begin to quiver and knew that she trying to keep her voice from doing the same.

"You heard me the first time, sweetheart. I won't repeat myself" Her… mother… was cold when she spoke, putting a falsely sweet smile on the face that resembled Cara's. It was hard to believe this woman could even smile because not even five minutes earlier, as I fought and yelled, her face had been practically made of stone."I had to go away for a while-"

"A while? Go away?" Cara cut through in a voice filled with anger, but it wasn't shaking and I could tell she'd worked hard to make it that way. I saw Quil grin in the background, I fought a smile myself.

"But I'm back. And I'm so glad to see you all grown up" She went on as if her daughter had never even spoken. And as if that daughter were an imbecile. Already I hated her, for what she was doing and what I knew was going to come. Her brown eyes were flat and if she didn't look almost exactly like her, I would never have believed Cara- filled with so much light and love and kindness- could be related to her.

For a while it was quiet. We all waited for what was coming next. The man who'd come with Cara's mother, a man I recognized from a certain showdown a few nights ago, shifted from foot to foot with a cocky grin pulled across his face. David, I'd remember that name.

"Why are you here?" Cara broke the silence, surprising us all. I held on tighter to her hand, mentally rooting her on.

"For you, dear. I'm your mother" Cold One was already taken but the name seemed to fit her. She had none of the warmth my mom had when she was alive, there was no maternal spark in her voice or eyes. I was happy for it and at the same time… I couldn't even imagine what Cara was thinking.

"You never would have left" Hearing Cara not believe this woman, who still hadn't told us her name, was music to my ears.

It took me a while to realize that I'd had this fear that maybe Cara would leave us- this was her mother after all. It made sense for her to want to be with her mom, I know I would. And I wouldn't stop her, not as long as she was really happy, no matter how much it hurt me. But it turned out that my fear was foolish. Standing next to Cara, who bravely confronted her missing mother without automatically running to her side… it made me love her so much more, if that was even possible.

"I didn't have a choice, which is something I won't discuss here" The Cold One said "here" as if even the word were poison. The Pack silently glowered at her at the same time, instinctive pride kicking in. Cara joined in, her eyes slanting into a glare. "And I will not be questioned by a child"

Silence again. The moments ticked by as Cara let that settle in the air. Her hand stopped shaking in mine, it was solid and strong now. She looked sure of what she was going to do next. My heart swelled with pride in her, at how brave she seemed to be. If my mom had come back from the dead I might have burst into tears or something. Especially if she came back like _that_.

"Jake?" It took a second to realize she had said something, let alone my name. I looked away from David and down into Cara's blue eyes. "Take me home"

She didn't need to say another word. Sam nodded curtly, the annoyance and anger obvious on his face. I threw my arm around her neck, pulled her into my chest. With one final glance at her mother, and an extra glare at David for good luck, I turned us around and headed out the door.

Cara:

She didn't call for me to stop or anything. Just stood silently, watching me walk away with Jake. The throng of wolves and people outside cleared in front of us, closing up behind. The wall between us and the Rabbit, parked just under some shade by the dirt road, got thinner and thinner as the wall between me and my… mother got thicker. I strangely liked it better that way.

Jake opened the passenger side door for me, holding on to my hand for just a second longer than he needed to, trailing his fingers along my palm before closing the door and loping around the back to the driver's side. I kept my eyes trained on the road, refusing to look at David's Pack, so much bigger than mine, and especially away from the house. My head was still swimming, the recent event not fully processed yet.

For a while we drove in silence. Jake rested his hand on my knee, every once in a while glancing over to check on me. There were too many thoughts whirling around in my head, the first of which being that I'd failed. Jake was now tangled up in drama I'd hoped he could avoid. My heart fell at that. But it picked up speed when I realized how many there had been. I knew who David's "she" was now. My mother- assigning him the task of watching me. Once I knew that, everything sort of clicked… except the hikers being attacked. Unless… I shivered when I thought about the possibility of man-hunting werewolves. It was just wrong. Sick. Against nature- if that statement isn't an oxymoron in the current situation.

"You okay?" Jake asked a few minutes later, his voice cutting through my crazy, unorganized thoughts. I didn't know how to answer, there were a few different replies. So I settled with just not answering at all. "Cara?"

The steady slipstream of green leaves and moss, brown trees whipping past slowed down as Jake took his foot of the gas and eased the Rabbit to a halt. I sighed, really not looking forward the impending conversation. His hand tugged me around to face him, his gentle fingers tipped my head up. I felt myself falling into his warm, brown eyes.

"I can't tell my dad, can I?" I asked. My voice was barely above a whisper, I already knew the answer. I looked down at our hands, interlaced on the vinyl and felt my shoulders sag.

"Probably not a good idea, no" Jake told me, in a voice equally as quiet as my own.

My mother, I thought and the words just wouldn't stick. She'd been dead for so long and all of a sudden, poof! She's there as if she'd always been. And David had known, he could have told me. But we weren't friends, he'd probably enjoyed that scene just now. I ground my teeth just thinking about it.

"Listen, Cara… um, there's something I should tell you" I looked up at Jake's face, the guilt was there in his eyes again and my head provided the answer. With a smile, I leaned forward and kissed his cheek, sliding myself closer at the same time.

"You knew they were here, didn't you?" I asked. It made sense, his extra shifts and exhaustion. Jake looked down at me with a sheepish grin that made my heart flip.

"Just David, I'd been tracking him" He said. So David was bothering everyone, huh? Why was I not surprised by that?

"I knew about David too, I just didn't want you to worry"

"What? Why not?!" Jake exploded, his eyes went wide and wild. For a second I saw fear but fear for me and what could have happened. I reached up and touched Jake's hair, ran my fingers through it with a small smile as I realized how stupid I'd been, we'd both been.

"He's harmless. A little teddy bear" He snorted and rolled his eyes, more relaxed though at my touch.

"Not the David I met" Before I could even begin to question his murmur, Jake grabbed both of my hands in his and turned so that our knees touched, facing each other. My entire body still buzzed at his touched, butterflies flitted around in my stomach."No more secrets, alright? From now on, we tell each other everything. I don't want something to happen to you because you didn't want me to worry"

"Alright" I said, for a moment stunned at the new glow in his eyes, the refreshed ease in his body and voice. Here was the Jake I knew and he made me smile, even as the rain started to patter against the windshield, the individual drops like the new troubles in my life trying to get at us.

"I love you too much, Cara, to lose you over something stupid like that" Jake's voice was soft when he said that, giving me heart palpitations- only the good kind if there is such a thing.

"I love you, too" Even though the events of not even an hour ago were still weighing in my mind, it was easy to push them to the back of the thought vault with Jake as a distraction. His eyes burned into mine making it hard to ever want to look away. My mind was swiped clean, I could have forgotten my own name.

The rain started to pick up, pounding against the roof sounding like coins falling in a tin cup. The road was empty, no cars whipping past in this part of La Push. Just trees and moss and dirt, the sound of waves as a backdrop. Jake leaned forward, his face inching closer and I met him halfway, pressing my lips to his. Invisible sparks were flying as we kissed. My eyes fluttered closed, Jake's fingers twined through my hair and the world faded away till even the sound of the rain was nothing. I loved every minute of it.

Thunder rolled, making us jump apart. I could feel the heat of Jake's breath on my face, we were still that close and neither of us could stop smiling. We were strong together, we could make it through whatever was thrown at us, even if it happened to be… my long dead mother coming back to life with a huge Pack at her disposal. Even that.

"Let's go home" Jake said in a voice that was increasingly huskier than before. He was still trying to catch his breath, so was I. He started the car, eased it into gear and pulled onto the slick road, taking us farther away from a living headache until the time came when we had to face it again with his arm slung around my shoulders.

"Can I come over instead?" I asked, not yet ready to go home, face the long list of chores I still had to. My stomach rumbled as I realized I still hadn't eaten breakfast. Jake looked at me and grinned, kissed my hand held tight in his.

"That's what I said- home"


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry for the major delay on this. Since nothing really happens in this chapter, I put up two- 9 and 10. I've got the next like five chapters already written so I'll be updating pretty frequently. Review please!!

Chapter 9:

Cara:

Humming. A song I didn't know. The gentle melody carried in my mind as something hot and electric stroked my arm. I should have been worried… about something. I should have been confused but the steady pattern being twirled on my skin kept me distracted. I couldn't think straight, my mind traced the movement. Where was I?

It felt late but I couldn't say what time. Or maybe it was morning already after all. I didn't want to open my eyes just yet or face the world that had just gotten another notch more twisted and confusing. I couldn't remember why though, or maybe I didn't want to remember why. The gentle patterns on my arm were enough for now.

Then suddenly, when my mind had almost lulled back to sleep, it was gone. Springs creaked, cloth ruffled, and my head was slowly eased down onto something soft and cushioned- a pillow. A hand lightly stroked the side of my face, from temple to chin and I felt the softest kiss on my forehead. It was instantly colder the moment he pulled away.

"Jake?" My voice was raspy and almost a whisper as one by one my senses started to work. I felt the sheets tucked around me, the pillow under my head. The air circulating from the fan in the corner of the room that was just barely able to reach me; the sound of the blades whirring made me tired. And lastly the smell- of earth and rain and an avid mechanic. Everything screamed Jake.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" The bed groaned again when he sat down, his hand rested on my hip.

_No time like the present_, I thought and opened my eyes, taking in the sight of his shaggy dark hair and russet skin, his red-brown eyes lighter than I'd ever seen them. The steady thump-thump of my heart turned frantic in a way that shouldn't have been healthy.

"No" I lied because the way he'd woken me up hadn't been altogether unpleasant. In fact, I'd let him wake me up like that every morning if my father would let him.

With a groan, I rolled onto my back, stretching my arms over my head and yawning. Jake placed the hand that had been on my hip next to me, making a human cage and trapping me in it. The clock flashed 7a.m. when I took the briefest second to look away from his eyes. I guess the horror must have shown on my face because he chuckled, throaty and low, sending shivers down my spine.

"It's Wednesday. You're at Emily's, remember?" He reminded me of our summer long secret arrangement, tapping my nose with his finger. The mental image of Dad's red, angry face and the amount of grounding I would be in vanished, replaced by that calm from five seconds ago…

But the mention of Emily brought up a certain memory I had locked away for a while. Or the night, actually. My mind hit the road block and hit it hard. All the events of the past day came flooding back as if someone had pulled the drain in the bathtub, every word washing over me. I flinched when the visuals pieced together to go along.

"Yesterday really happened" I groaned.

It was a statement, spoken like a question. I couldn't hide the hope in my voice, the silent wish for him to deny it. I knew he wouldn't though, and that knowledge made me groan again, squeeze my eyes shut from the reality of it as if the thin layer of my eyelid could somehow magically undo it.

"Um…yeah" Jake sighed, letting his shoulders sag and his hair cover his eyes. I reached up and brushed it aside, smiled when I saw our engagement ring glittering on my left hand.

The second of euphoria didn't last long though.

"And my mother…" I let my voice trail off and the words settled in the air.

It was so bizarre, saying those words out loud. What was even more bizarre? Actually meeting the woman those words belonged to. Like meeting characters from a fictional story come to life(shout out to Stephenie Meyer!).

Jake didn't bother answering, just studied me with worry filled eyes. His hand, the hot and electric thing stroking dizzying patterns on my arm, now brushed the hair out of my face, soothing me with each touch. I could see the pain in his eyes, the desire to take yesterday away and make sure it had never happened. It made me sad, that look, to have been the cause of all the worry and anxiety. This was exactly what I'd been trying to avoid from the very beginning.

"Great" I said, and dragged a pillow over my face. My head started to throb, my chest started to ache and all I wanted to do was go back to sleep to forget anything had ever happened. It was all just too… crazy!

_My mother, my mom, Mom… _So many things I could call her, things I had dreamed of calling her, and yet the memories I'd attached to those names didn't match the woman I'd met. She had been cold, Diana Jamison, instead of filled with laughter and love as the pictures portrayed her. She wasn't the mom I had heard stories of, dreamt of, imagined. The realization was enough to make tiny, hairline cracks appear along my heart that choked my throat and made it hard to breathe.

I should have been happy, right? That's the appropriate response to something like this, isn't it? Finding out your mother, who you always thought was dead, is alive should be something that brings out laughter and tears and joy… so why was it that all I felt was dread, sorrow, weariness… everything I shouldn't be feeling.

_Maybe it would be better if I pretended it wasn't her… just some evil twin or clone or something._

"Cara, listen… I want you to be… careful, okay? No split second decisions, alright?" Jake said sternly.

Time ticked by. When I didn't answer after two minutes I heard him sigh before the pillow was tossed across the room. He looked at me with the most serious expression I'd ever seen on him, not even the faint shadow of the ever present smile. Just a clenched jaw and dark, tense eyes.

"I was using that" _To hopefully suffocate myself. _

"I'm serious. If I find out tomorrow that you did something… you-like, I'll… I don't know what I'll do but you won't like it" He grumbled. He almost begged. I had no choice really though in my mind, a plan had already been forming.

"Fine, alright. You win" I said and that seemed to be enough for him. With a satisfied smile, he leaned down and planted one quick kiss on my forehead. In that one instant, his scent washed over me, choking me in a way I never wanted to stop.

"Now, come on. The Twins are on a cleaning rampage and Dad's almost home. Let's get out of here"

--

By the time we pulled up in front of my house, the first raindrops were starting to fall. I could see the light from the television flickering and imagined what the living room would look like. Boxes everywhere, leaning up against the walls, papers and every phone in the house sprawled around my father. I grimaced at the thought.

"Well" Looking away from my house, I noticed for the first time the goofy grin plastered on my imprint's face. The only problem was that I could see right through it.

The moment we had left Jake's house, the air had been tense and anxious. I could feel it right down to my core. It was as if the earth _knew_ about the danger of this new Pack- lead by my mother- and _knew_ exactly how I felt. It wasn't making the situation any better.

"What?" I asked.

The Rabbit rumbled as Jake looked at me and I looked at Jake. It growled like a loyal watchdog, protecting us from the outside world. Without taking his eyes away from me, he clicked off the engine and the sound of the rain took over where the Rabbit had left off. My heart started racing for no apparent reason, my body felt instantly hyper-aware.

"We'll get through this, Cara… believe me?" Jake seemed hopeful with his pleading eyes and almost genuine smile. I had the feeling he was depending on me to say I did, that he _needed _me to say so. The look in his eyes was enough to make my heart break, make the guilt swell up in my chest.

"I do" I said, because I'd realized it was my fault… or my mother's, which sort of made it mine too. Guilty by association or whatever. But it worked, he sighed and relaxed, though his eyes were still five shades darker.

"And I mean it, no being brave. Stay safe"  
"I'll try" He shot me a warning look. "I will"

"Then… I got to get to Sam's. Second in command business, but I could stay-" Jake looked like he wanted to stay more than anything, puppy dog eyes begging for a reason to. I was almost tempted to give him one.

"And have Sam mad at me? No way, go" I said.

The rain had started to pick up even more, coming down in sheets instead of drizzles. Lightning flashed for the first time, but definitely not the last, and I could almost feel the electricity in the air. If I walked into my house to… the worst, one thing was for sure. We wouldn't be going anywhere tonight. I thanked La Push for that.

"If you say so…" I grabbed his hand, brought it to my lips. Every chance I had to even hold Jake's hand lately sent my heart into a spasm, and almost made me want to cry. His warmth had never felt so… electric, his eyes had never been so hypnotic. Maybe it was me falling even more in love with him, or the heavy possibility of having to leave.

"I do, I say so twice. Go" I leaned over, kissed him then opened the door as the rain started to pelt down in heavy sheets. The world was a gloomy greenish gray and the heat made me feel like I was stuck in a rain forest.

"Love you" I said before making a mad dash for the covered porch.

The second I was away from him I felt shockingly different. The world seemed less light and happy, and when he drove away, leaving me at home to face the wrath of whatever my father was cooking up, I felt the weight of the last day- or days- settle on me again. With a heavy sigh, I turned the knob and opened the door, instantly wishing I hadn't.


	10. Chapter 10

2 in one day- yay!

Chapter 10:

Cara:

"What do you mean it's already done?"

The sight before me was almost too unbelievable. Blood rushed to my head too quickly and I had to lean against the wall or risk collapsing. It couldn't be real, the boxes and duct tape. This was just a nightmare and I'd wake up in Jake's arms, safe and sound and with the thought of moving away far from my mind. I'd be at peace… not about to pass out from fear and anxiety and the sudden intense nausea.

"Cara, sweetheart, it's time we moved on. It's not safe anymore here. I know you have Jacob and your friends but sweetie, we can't risk it" Dad's voice was so frank, so matter of fact I couldn't help but think of _her_. He was just like her- a perfect match. It made my heart twist and yank in my chest that I hadn't seen it before.

"No" I forced the word out, but it was barely a whisper, my throat aching as I spoke. Dad looked up at me from where he packed the china in the kitchen.

"No?" He asked, as if the meaning of the word were all of a sudden an unknown concept. I pushed off the wall, balled my hands into fists and stood my ground. It wasn't fair, I thought, and ground my teeth with the stubborn will and determinatoin I'd inherited from him.

"No, I'm not leaving" I said through a clenched jaw. Tears stung my eyes, the pressure built in my throat but I refused to cry, I hated crying. But not as much as I hated the only family I'd ever had at that moment... _not my only family anymore_, I reminded myself.

They say your life flashes before your eyes when you're about to die. Well, though I wasn't dying, images were flashing behind my eyes as my heart broke away bit by bit as I furiously fought to keep it all together. Jake mostly. His face, his eyes, his smile… sounds came next. His voice and his laugh. I saw the Pack, felt their presence in my mind as a distant memory, as prominent as my eight birthday or the first time I rode a bike. They meant that much to me now, and he wanted to take that all away.

"We don't have a choice, Ca-"

"Of course we do! We can stay! Why all of a sudden do we have to leave? Do I get a say? It's not fair...and now I'm not leaving" The words burst out before I could stop them, my voice rising with each one, and it took so much control to get my voice back down to moderate. "No way, Dad. I'm not going, not this time"

He opened his mouth- to yell, to scream, to physically force me to stay?- but I was already gone, throwing open the front door and racing back out into the downpour. Barely contained sobs racking my body. I dropped my bag on the steps, kicked off my shoes in the driveway. I heard him calling my name, felt the twinge of guilt in my heart, but kept running, never once looking back. By the time I reached the first layer of forestry, I was pulling off my shirt and the first stages of the phase were taking over as the rain pounded against my shoulders. And I gladly let them.

My bones cracked, joints popped as they re-aligned. A sudden, intense heat washed over my entire body as the full of effects of my werewolf gene settled into my DNA. In seconds, I was a wolf, a flash of white running through the dense, dark forest trying to get away from something I'd have to face eventually… as in tomorrow morning.

I ripped through the trees, whipping past vines and leaves, leaping over rocks and logs without a final destination in mind. I didn't know where I was going, didn't really care. I just needed to run and run fast, so I did. Rain pooled on the forest floor in patches, trickling through the canopies, but I barely noticed. My sensitive eyes picked up things no amount of light would have shown, my ears tuned into sounds miles away, seeming to be right next to me. I let the world take over, nature run its course, so my own thoughts wouldn't…and for a while it worked.

Lost in the world around me, I was able to sort my thoughts, clear my throbbing head. The rain was cool against my fur, plastering it to my body. My feet carried me blindly and for a while, I ran with my eyes closed, letting my senses guide me. I'd never felt so free, so... at ease in my life. It seemed perfect.

Until I felt _him _in my mind. Like a shark cutting through water, he cut through my thoughts. Soon, he was there running next to me, almost fighting to keep up with my faster pace, despite his longer legs. His dark fur gleamed like an oil slick, the muscles in his back rippling even at a distance. I growled, low and tense, and tried to forget he was there.

_You're fast**- Yes, leave me alone**_, I thought at him and lengthened my stride. I felt what he felt and was surprised. Guilt? For what? Did he even have that emotion in him? I shook off my curiosity and focused on getting away from him, getting to the solitude and peace I'd been searching for.

_I'm sorry, Cara_.

What? I didn't stop running but I was thrown off enough to slow down, just barely. My heart was hammering, my breath panting and wheezing. Running from my problems had been stupid, so stupid. I'd worn out my body, used up my energy. I could feel it dwindling, and now I was stuck with David in a part of the forest I didn't know well… a chill set in as I realized it was like my dream… just like my dream. David's face, Jake's voice. Now my heart hammered in fear, as he kept saying those words over and over, like a mantra in my mind.

_I'm sorry, so, so sorry…_ We crashed through a thick layer of underbrush, flying into a shallow dip in the ground. And that's when I felt them. The others… strangers intruding in my mind, getting closer and closer, circling in on me from all directions. Still David's apologies ringing in my ears, Jake's face, Dad's sadness and the boxes… my mother suddenly came to mind as her pack came toward me.

I skidded to a stop and whipped around, facing David. His glowing eyes seemed so dark, so guilty- now he's sorry? I thought. I backed away from him as he stepped forward, trying to as much futile space between me and him as possible. I could feel them now, all around us. Soon I'd see their eyes, feel their claws and fangs. Oh, god no…

_**David, please-**__ I won't hurt you, I told you that, Cara. I promised._ He hadn't actually if I remembered right, but the words somehow made me feel better. If he wouldn't hurt me, would he get them to? Would they kill me? Leave me for dead? What? I whimpered, my heart hammering against my rib cage, when the first wolves came into view behind David, slowly looping closer. I felt like puking, like crying, like screaming for Jacob but I knew he'd never hear me… I couldn't sense any of my Pack in my mind. Just me and these people I didn't know.

_**David?**_ I asked and his sad glowing eyes loomed over me. _I'm sorry_ He said and the rest circled around. Huge and bulky and deadly. Their fangs flashed in the dim light, their claws were sharp and ready. I was trapped, alone… **_Jake. _**My last thought.

Then everything went black.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

Jake:

I was exhausted by the time Sam finally said I could go home. While the image of my bed did seem taunting, the image of Cara was even more so after hours of talking about someone I already hated more than... well, than _Edward._ I drove quickly through the La Push streets trying to avoid anything that would make the headache I had any worse, with a desperate need to get to her. The windows were open, the wind ran through my hair, cooling my heated skin. It was so calm- unlike reality- I could have fallen asleep at the wheel.

In what seemed like no time, Cara's house came into view, stretching across the horizon at the end of the almost deserted road. Shuddered windows, finished porch, I knew that in the back, there was an open deck. I could see the lights on and smiled when I thought of wrapping my tired arms around her and just not moving for a month. The speedometer went up another notch.

I pulled up next to her dad's car, my lights reflecting the blue paint. For once it wasn't raining, a good night for a bonfire. The Rabbit rumbled to a stop, I cut the ignition and hopped out, marching straight up to her front door without once stumbling around from fatigue and knocked, expecting her to answer right away… she didn't. Nobody did. I knocked again after a few minutes, wondering if they'd gone out or something but then I heard pounding footsteps coming down the stairs. My heart thumped hard once before it settled back down.

The door swung open but it wasn't Cara, just her father, or what used to be her father. He stood, looking more disheveled than I'd ever seen him, with his hair stuck up on end as if he'd been running his hands through it alot, he looked tired and worn out. I bit back the slight disappointment I felt that it wasn't Cara, and shoved my hands deep into my pockets.

"Is Cara..." Something was wrong, it spiked through my body in a sudden rush, making my hands curl into fists, my jaw clench. It hit me like a brick wall, animal instinct. Worry and fear were rolling off of him in waves, he looked anxious and scared. I had to swallow a few times before I could speak. "Mr. Jamison?"

"Jake, now isn't the best time-"His voice was gruff and hoarse, his blue eyes, so much like Cara's, were red-rimmed. My heart started to rampage and I silently prayed that maybe he'd just been having a bad day. Looking at him and the fact that I wasn't looking at Cara clicked pieces together five seconds late.

"What's wrong? Where's Cara?" I craned my neck around her father, as if I would see her sprawled on the floor or something. The frenzy in my chest eased when I didn't. All I did see though were boxes… everywhere… my thudding heart suddenly ached… suddenly stood still. "Mr. Jami-"

"I don't know where she is! She just… I think she- she ran away" He snapped, I jumped, not expecting it.

The sun was going down, fresh rain clouds were rolling in, promising another storm tonight. I stared at him, my imprint's father, for a good ten minutes before my mind processed his words. Even then, I couldn't make myself believe them, they wouldn't really stick in my consciousness. Light flowed out onto the porch where I stood, sending shadows all around me, Chris Jamison never fully opened the door or invited me in and for once I didn't want to go in, see her house without her in it. As his words finally made sense in my head, my heart steadily picked up speed, until it was at the point of exploding.

"She'd never do that" I finally said, because she wouldn't. Some part of me knew Cara would never run away, she loved La Push and her father too much... which only left one option. I fought for control of my anger, so I wouldn't shift right there in front of her father and do something I'd regret. Emily's face flashed before my eyes.

"Then… then what if…?" He'd thought of that possibility too.

Thunder rolled in the distance, sending shivers through my entire body as I thought of all the ways I could tear David apart. Cara's dad was staring at me as if I had four heads, my hand tightened around the banister of the front steps so much I'd left an impression of my hand. I hadn't even realized I'd stepped away, let alone grabbed it for support.

"I'll get her back" My voice was a low, intense rumble, intimidating even to my own ears. Mr. Jamison's eyes widened before he nodded, helpless, and watched me march back to my truck, stiff shouldered and tense.

Without another word, I started the engine and raced back to Sam's house, tires squeeling as I peeled off. If I thought I'd been driving fast before, I was faster than the speed of light now. I couldn't make out any real objects out my window, just the yellow lines of the road, illuminated by my headlights. Racing towards First Beach, grey clouds loomed up in front of me. My grip tightened around the steering wheel, thoughts whipped through my head at speeds too quick to keep track off, like the trees zipping past my car. All I could see was Cara, then David, then Cara… I couldn't believe it but I made myself think the words as I drove, a plan already forming.

_She's been kidnapped._

Cara:

The first thing I noticed was the rocking. The steady rhythm of movement that was by no means my own. My body seemed to sway, seemed to roll. The second thing I noticed was that it was only my body moving, my head was stationary, cushioned on something soft. And third... somehow it took me a few seconds to place what I realized third. It was a weird sensation, traveling from my temple back through my hair to my neck, only to repeat the process all over. After the fourth cycle it hit me, like being tossed into ice cold water.

A hand, stroking my hair. Like some creepy Children of the Corn-ish movie.

My entire body felt numb- my legs, my arms- but as quickly as I could, with my mind focused only on getting as far away from that hand, I pushed myself up into a sitting position, threw myself as far away as possible. The cushion had been someone's lap. My back slammed into something hard that jabbed into my spine, a car door handle, my head smacked against the window in my rush to get away. I could barely keep my breathing under control, thoughts raced through my head in fragmented phrases.

At first, everything was too bright as if I'd been living under ground my entire life, but slowly, I could see clearly where I was. A limo, stretch. Black leather seats, heavily tinted windows. No bar, no sun roof, no flashing lights on the ceiling. It reminded me of a funeral car, the ones that carry the casket? And it was cold… so cold even my super human heat couldn't keep it at bay.

"Are you finished?" The voice made my blood freeze, but forced my heart to pound faster. It was as cold as the limo, as hard as diamond. I knew it already.

Slowly, almost as though I was afraid to, my eyes focused on the woman who had previously held my head in her lap, had just been gently stroking my hair. Her brown eyes were endless and wise, as if she knew every one of my secrets. They made me feel exposed. Her dark hair coiled down her back, her pant suit was neatly pressed. Right down to her perfectly manicured nails, she screamed all business. She was my mother.

"Really, didn't your father teach you anything?" She muttered to herself before swiftly reaching over, placing a finger under my chin and pushing my jaw closed. I guess I may have been gaping at her. Who wouldn't?

"Taught me more than you did" I said indignantly. What right did she have, to talk about my father when he'd always been there? When he'd sacrificed his entire life for me? My throat suddenly closed up, tears stung my wide eyes as the memory of how I'd last seen my father came to mind. I pressed further against the limo door.

"Yes, well. Hardly" Diana sent me a withering look, like a biology student looking at the frog she was about to dissect.

Disapproval dripped off of her, coming at me in waves. It was stupid, but I felt… hurt. I tried to shake it off, snap myself out of it, but in that instant I wanted her to approve of me, of who I was. She was my mother, as crazy as that seemed. But the begrudging silence kept coming, the limo kept getting colder… and I was getting farther and farther away from home!

"Where are you taking me?" I asked in a whisper. I couldn't see out of the windows, my own face reflected back to me. The sight was scary- my hair was dripping, plastered to my head, my eyes were puffy and red as if I'd been crying, and there was one painful bruise on my forehead already turning yellow. I tentatively touched it and flinched.

"Home, dear" replied Diana Jamison, since Mom was too weird to say. Her smile was sickly false, there was no warmth in her eyes. My heart ached just looking at this women, who's DNA made up half of my own.

"I was home, dear" She didn't notice the loathing my voice, barely cared that my hands were balled into fists at my side.

"Temporary. I'm taking you to where you truly belong, Cara. With me, with you rightful Pack. Those people back there hardly count as a pack. More a… litter, a gaggle. Nothing compared to ours" I had to bite my tongue to keep from lashing out, defending my Pack. So there were only nine of us… we were more of a pack than hers could ever be. We were family basically. But then I realized that the Pack was nowhere in sight, just me. Alone.

"How many?... In yours I mean" I asked. I had to do something, get out of here. The ache in my back gave me an idea. Keeping my eyes on her, I eased further toward the door, tried to get my hand on the handle. I'd jump out if necessary.

"Ours contains approximately forty adults… not including the fifteen children" Diana said, glancing once at me as she spoke. I bit back my barely contained gasp of surprise- eight against forty. My fingers curled around the knob, I felt for the lock and popped it. "If you want to keep your hands, I'd suggest keeping them to yourself"

I froze, the handle halfway pulled. My eyes darted to her face, the stony expression and I gulped. The car faltered, braked suddenly,I had to throw out my hands to catch myself against the other seat. Diana had barely moved an inch. Seconds later, we rolled smoothly on again, as if nothing had happened.

"Besides. It's child proofed. No way out until we reach homeland" And then it was hopeless again, in that one sentence. She sat in perfect peace and silence, unaware that this was wrong. Sick. A new kind of custody battle.

Hopeless and helpless, I put my head against the ice cold glass and strained to see anything… anything… but there was nothing but my own reflection, surrounded by absolute darkness.

* * *

REVIEW!!... please?


	12. Chapter 12

I'm really sorry for the delays lately. I promise to have chapters up more often cause I have to get this story done before July 2!! Oh, review please!! and thanks

_Okay, okay… just open the door- and really do it this time. _My hand wavered, hovering just over the doorknob in the same position it had been in for the past ten minutes. No amount of pep-talk could force my shaking hand to open it though. I was frozen in place, torn and confused and, admittedly, afraid. It had taken almost an hour to even get to this stage.

I'd fallen asleep. Sitting in a limousine, next to the woman who had instructed my kidnapping- and happened to be my mom- while being driven away from home with no chance of escape had apparently been a perfect time for me to fall asleep. When my eyes had blearily opened, blinking away the last bits of sleep, I'd tried to think back on my last conscience moments and cringed when my memory line just ended, picking back up when I had woken up, lost and confused and full of self-loathing. How could I have let myself fall asleep?!

Waking up disoriented is one thing, but waking up in a dusty, ancient old room straight out of an American Girl book is another. Tattered lace curtains, flowered wall-paper, a big vanity in one corner. It didn't take much imagination to picture what the room had originally looked like. It felt like a ghost town, made me feel alone and eerily watched. That's how I'd ended up at the door, eager to leave the deserted bedroom, but not eager enough to actually open the door.

_Just do it, what's the worst that could happen?_ I thought, trying to ignore all the actual possibilities. The knob was cold under my quivering hand, chilling me to the bone. Slowly, so it wouldn't creak, I turned the handle and eased open the door a fraction of an inch, peaking through the crack between the frame and actual door.

My heart was pounding, blood rushing in my ears, nervous butterflies fluttered in my chest. But there was nobody out there, nobody and nothing- just darkness, interrupted at intervals by dim candles mounted on the walls. I opened the door all the way and stepped out into the hall wondering why they would leave their captive all alone. Not that I was complaining.

There was a sound to my left, a faint echo of voices. Low and murmuring, their words were indistinguishable but I found my legs carrying me toward the sound. My feet brushed against rough, worn down carpet, my hand trailed along peeling wall-paper as shadows flickered along the walls. I could barely swallow because of the anxious lump in my throat.

I passed door after door, the voices steadily growing louder. I wondered who was in those rooms, behind the ancient wooden doors. More kidnapped people? Or the people who had kidnapped me? My hand dropped from the wall at that thought, hands balled into fists at my side as a fresh wave of anger washed through me.

Eventually, the confused murmuring turned into pitches and tones, I could pick out men and women speaking. But still their words made no sense. I followed the sound for I don't know how long until finally, the narrow, dark halls opened up onto a wide staircase, facing an identical set of halls way across the wide, open space. The ceiling was domed, like a church's, a big chandelier lit up the room. The sound of movement came now with the voices, turning the nervous lump into a nervous planet.

Laughter erupted from downstairs when my foot touched the first step. I froze, waited for the laughter to die down. Cups and plates clattered, chairs scraped against wooden floors. How many were down there? Why had I left that room? Slowly, taking a deep breath with each step, I forced myself to walk down the wide steps, trying to virtually turn myself into an invisible feather.

Another dark hallway waited at the bottom stretching from left to right, this time an eruption of yellow light broke through the shadows on my left. The voices came from there- that room lit from within. With a nervous glance over my shoulder and down the darkening hall, I crept forward, pressing my back against the wall, keeping as much to the shadows as possible.

"Hey!" My heart stopped, literally. My entire body went rigid and only until I heard more laughter did I breathe. It wasn't me, nobody had seen me. So far so good.

Beyond the lit up room, and way at the end of the dark hall, was the door. Not just any door to another old room, but _the _door. The front door. I could see the pale blue sky of twilight through the stained glass. If I could just get past my captors would be great.

When I could just see inside the room I stopped, calculating my plan of escape without really being spotted on the way out. Inside, the room was more modern than the rest of the house, no dust, no cobwebs. Nice stained wood table and cabinets. An impressionist painting hung on the bit of wall I could see and if I craned my neck, I could just make out the straight hair and wide shoulders of the man closet to the door. My heart pounded at the thought of them being so close.

_Okay, okay._ My breathing came faster as I tried to convince myself that this would not end in disaster, that I could easily just slip past the loud room unnoticed and be out the door. I could save myself and be home in not time! I crouched my legs, pushed off from the wall ready to run and-

"What the…?" This time, it was directed at me. I whipped around and spotted him, the person who had ruined my plan by coming down the grand staircase a minute too soon. He stared at me with wide dark eyes, as stunned to see me as I was to see him. I was just one second ahead in the reaction rate.

Because I didn't have another plan or another chance, I just ran for it. Bolted for the door, darting past the crowded room, ignoring surprised faces and the sudden clamor as chairs scraped back in unison and feet pounded after me. Adrenaline and panic coursed through me but the door was getting closer.

"Get back here!" They called. More shouts joined in, more pounding footsteps. Without actually doing so, an alarm had gone off, calling every werewolf in the immediate area to come after me. This was the complete opposite of how I'd invisioned my plan, but I was almost there.

I bowed my head and pushed myself the last few extra feet, my hand already reaching and couldn't help but smile when my hand clasped the doorknob, almost laughed when the door swung open and-

Froze. All laughter, all smiles vanished. Replaced, instead, by a cold, dreadful pang.

Dozens of pairs of eyes gleamed at me, fangs snarling up at me as sleek fur caught what little light was left. My eyes darted around, counting breathlessly as an empty feeling filled every crevice of my body. A hand clamped down on my shoulder but I couldn't even make a sound, I was too shell-shocked and numb.

"Gotcha" A deep, gravely voice huffed in my ear.

On either side of me, ahead and behind, the Other Pack surrounded me. Humans inside, wolves outside. I really was trapped, there was no way out. They'd barricaded the entire area with guards, the best you could ever find. What was one girl against forty werewolves? I backed against the doorframe as they gathered closer, faces leering at me, ears pointed and jaws snapping. My hands were shaking, my heart fluttered almost sputtering to a stop. This was it, I'd almost convinced myself.

"Stop" Just one word and it was like Moses parting Red Sea. The hand dropped from my shoulder, men and wolves backed off instantly. The command echoed in the air so that even the most stubborn of them couldn't disobey.

I wanted to hug the person who had spared me even a few extra minutes though I couldn't actually get myself to move- or even exhale. I looked from face to face, returning taunting stares with a blank one of my own. It was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop. Footsteps echoed in the silence and my eyes flickered immediately to the sound, darted away then instantly back.

He stood there, like a king, arms folded over his chest, curly black hair framing piercing green eyes that looked at me with an emotion I couldn't name. For a minute all time stood still as my blue eyes locked on his green.

_David._

Jake:

Frustrated. Anxious. I couldn't take this anymore, not one more second. If it was up to me, I'd be gone already, not caring about technicalities like actually knowing where she was, getting in to get her out and not getting killed in the process. All my mind knew was that she was gone, and getting farther each minute.

The Pack's voices were just murmurs in the background, my thoughts zoning in and out while I worked on the Rabbit's engine, a nervous habit. My hands worked without me actually having to think about it, picking up a wrench here, checking the oil there. I kept my hands busy so I wouldn't break something.

"-right Jake?" Paul's voice cut through the sound of metal clanking, above the faint echo of the other voices. I glanced up at six pairs of expectant eyes all waiting for my answer to a question I hadn't actually heard.

"What?" I asked, my voice low. Leah rolled her eyes and shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest.

"God, Jake. It's _your _girlfriend we're trying to save, you could at least pretend to be helping" She said, acting like this was the single most annoying thing in the world I could have asked her to do. My jaw clenched, anger spiked through my entire body- I was impatient enough as it is- and before I could stop myself I was marching over to her, slamming my palms down on the table. Leah jumped, so did Paul and Quil, and stared at me, shocked.

"It's not _my _fault you can't get over-" Thank god what happened next happened, because in my state of seething anger I had almost been about to say something I would have regretted, and Leah knew it too. But something had interrupted me, a crash just outside the garage, twigs snapping and leaves crunching under someone's shoe.

All of us were on feet faster than you could say Great Gatsby, bodies tensed and ready. Sam nodded to me, took one side of the double doors, I took the other, the Pack falling in behind. Another snap and pop of a branch bending under too heavy a weight and the doors flew open. We rushed out, I could already feel a shape phase coming on, rippling through my bones. Out of the darkness came a startled yelp, we rounded on the sound. Jared ran into the shadowed trees, seconds later we heard a grunt then a pain filled groan. Embry went in after while the rest of us waited, listening to the struggle as the tension built, heavy in the air. A shout then silence….

My gaze flickered to Quil who shrugged and took a step closer at the same time as something came flying out of the woods, followed by Embry who burst out of the trees, one long cut on his neck. Jared struggled on the ground to pin down whoever had been creeping around the garage. My entire body buzzed with the adrenaline of this distraction, the wolf part of me anticipating a fight.

"Wait! Wait, I'm cool, don't- hey! Watch your hands!" We froze. It was just a… Jared shot to his feet, eyes wide, and we saw clearly… just a girl. A little frantic and frenzied, but a girl, maybe fifteen, none the less. It was dead silent until Quil snorted and bit back a laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" She shot at him as she stood. Not just a girl, we could smell the wolf on her. Her eyes flared when she noticed a tear in her sleeve, brushed dirt and leaves off her clothes.

"Who are you?" asked Sam after a second of awkward, stunned silence.

It was dark out, the wind coming off the cliffs was pretty strong, whipping the girl's hair into her face. I crossed my arms over my chest and stood next to Sam, taller by about two inches. Together we looked pretty intimidating, the Pack backing us made us seem like a teenage mafia. The girl looked at us and shrugged, totally not impressed.

"What's it to you?" She asked, taking up the same stance, arms over her chest. I stared at her, debating than shrugged my own shoulders.

"Fine. You can have her" I said, nodded to the Pack who went right with the act. They grinned, grouped around her, looming over her. Her dark hair, just past her shoulders, and small, almost fragile frame reminded me of Cara. I clenched my fists and turned away before I could think about it too much.

"Wait!" She called. I stopped a few feet away, didn't bother turning around. Quil let out a half-manic laugh, a little over done, like the hyenas in the Lion King. I rolled my eyes, wishing he could see. It worked though, her voice went up to octaves.

"What?" I said, still without looking at her. After a minute of silence I continued back toward the garage, feeling my heart sink lower in my chest with each step. I was almost at the door when I heard the most amazing words I think I've ever heard.

"I can help you get your girlfriend back!"


	13. Chapter 13

I have to finish this because by July 2 because I'm going away for like a month, unless you guys don't mind waiting that long for a chapter? I figured I'd try to finish so you wouldn't have to wait. And thanks for all the reviews guys.

Chapter 13:

Jake:

"What did you say?" I wasn't sure if I'd heard her right, maybe my ears were playing really cruel tricks on me. It was like the one thing I'd been dying to hear she'd said and my heart wouldn't stop accelerating.

"I said I know where your girlfriend is" The girl said again… which meant I'd heard right the first time! I whirled on her, staring her down, looking straight past the Pack. The look I gave her should have been a clear sign that I was not in any kind of joking mood.

"Why should I believe you?" I could barely see her face in the darkness but there was no mistaking the stubborn set of her jaw. If it had been daylight, the look would have probably been described as indignant.

"Do you really want to risk _not _believing me?" She shot right back. I had to admit she was quick, she definitely wasn't stupid as far as I could tell.

For a few minutes it was silent while I debated her question as an answer. Did I want to risk not believing her? Obvious answer of no. But there was a risk- of her being a trap, a traitor, a diversion. The list goes on. We couldn't trust her for obvious reasons but she knew where Cara was, knew how I could take her back. That desire was so strong I almost didn't care about the risks, my one track mind was all Cara and I'd do anything- _anything_- to get her back. But…

I glanced around at the Pack, who stared right back at me, the same calculating thoughts in their eyes. No, I didn't want to risk not believing this girl but the risks against my Pack were even greater. With clenched fists and grinding teeth my gaze settled back on her.

"You have twenty seconds to convince me" I grumbled and the girl just sort of stared.  
"How am I supposed to convince you in twenty seconds? That's like summing up World War Two in a sentence! I can't-"  
"Fifteen seconds"

"I'm from the Pack that took her. I knew about the plan but I couldn't stop it because hey, who listens to a kid, right? Though David thought it was wrong too and… anyway! I know where they took her and I can take you there if you help me get my brother out too" A big gulp of air, her voice was strained by the end. Though I couldn't see her eyes, I felt them. "A Pack like that isn't good for a kid like my brother, or any kid actually"

Her words settled into silence. Quil and Embry shifted from foot to foot, Leah scowled at the world, Sam and Jared stood looking all thoughtful and Paul… well, he looked like he'd never seen a girl before which had me thinking. A cloud suddenly blew past the moon and the eerie gray glow seemed to turn the world into a completely different universe. I could finally see the girl who was possibly my only chance of getting Cara back.

"You left this Pack because it's obviously demented but abandoned your brother?" I asked. She looked down at her feet, her shoulder slumped and her dark hair fell across her face. I caught the slightest glimpse of guilt flash behind her muted eyes.

"It's… complicated. I couldn't just grab him and take him with me, they don't take well to deserters you know? Like the Army or whatever. I had to leave then come back and get him somehow" She mumbled.

I suddenly felt bad for the kid. She was younger than all of us and yet somehow I had a hunch that she'd been through more than we could imagine. More than sadistic vampires. Traveling around with a bunch of kidnapping lunatics would probably do that. Sam caught my eye and I saw them soften, cave a little bit. With a small sigh, I uncrossed my arms and tried to make my voice gentler.

"And you're helping us because…?"

"Because I need help getting my brother and you need help getting your girlfriend. Kind of makes sense, doesn't it?" Quil snorted at her response and I had a bad feeling he would try to turn her into his prodigy or something. She sent a flustered look at him, surprised, then looked back at me, hopeful.

There had to be a catch, I thought. Nothing ever happens this easily. Nothing I want to happen anyway. A sudden wind ruffled my hair, cooled my skin and I looked out over the edge of the cliffs. Waves crashed against rock, moonlight reflected the deep, dark blue of the ocean and sad, gray clouds coasted through the sky. The stars were out tonight. I wondered if Cara had the same view wherever she was and that made up my mind.

"What's your name?" I asked. Out of my peripheral, I saw her head come up. A cloud passing over the moon plunged us into darkness so I couldn't see her eyes again but they were wide and staring I had the feeling.

"Meghan" came her reply. I nodded to myself and turned back to the Pack.

A silent nod from each of them, even surprisingly Leah, and my heart started pounding from adrenaline, anticipation, excitement. No more hopeless feeling. Suddenly my entire body was alive again with the thought of a chase, a hunt for Cara. I could almost feel the rush of racing through the trees, leaving everything behind me. I felt myself smile before I could even think to control it.

Meghan looked from me to Paul to me to Sam and back again, looking at each of us in turn. I wasn't sure but I could almost detect a sense of shock, pride and happiness in the new set of her shoulders. I stuck out my hand, suddenly feeling way too grateful to this fifteen year old girl who probably knew more than I did, and felt her hand settle in mine, shook it lightly.

"Welcome to the Pack- well um, temporarily"

Cara:

David's grip on my arm was like iron. I was pretty sure all circulation to that side of my body was permanently damaged. He marched me through the throng of people, back up the creaky, grand staircase and through the dank, dark halls all the way to my room. Or cell. I already thought of it that way.

"Get in" He growled, so angry and tense I flinched and when I didn't move he gave me one hard shove into the dusty, cold, dark room. I stumbled over to the bed, barely managing to stay up right from the force of his push. My arm ached as blood rushed back down but I didn't dare to even so much as mumble an "ow".

The door slammed shut when he came into the room, something I was not expecting. David stood there, glowering at me like I was the bane of his existence, not saying a word but not really having to, the message was clear. I was afraid to move, to ruin the silence that was penetrated by the steady patter of rain on the roof. So I sat, he stood, and the silence stretched on almost forever.

Was he really that mad at me? For trying to escape? He had to have been expecting at least one attempt because who in their right mind wouldn't at least try? And what right did he have to be mad at me?! My mind was a tangled mess of thoughts, varying from Jake- who was always on my mind- to Dad to Diana to… I don't even know what, just thoughts. Eventually, my back started to ache from being upright so long, my eyes started to droop and I sort of forgot he was standing there.

I was barely aware of the hand on my shoulder, the one behind my neck, didn't feel myself being gently lowered. I didn't realize until it had already happened that I was lying down and David was spreading a blanket over me. I cringed away from his hands, was surprised to see a flash of…something in his green eyes. For a second, I wished I was looking into Jake's instead.

"I'm sorry" David muttered, dropping the blanket and taking a step back. He shoved his hands into his pocket, a very Jake-ish thing to do. My heart ached at the thought of him. David must have seen the pain flash across my face because he asked, "Are you alright? Hurt?"

"Why do you care?" I shot back.

The bed groaned as I rolled onto my side, my back to him, the guy who had intervened on a very close run-in with the wolves downstairs. Maybe it wasn't fair but then again, he did kidnap me. If we were going on what was fair or not, I should at least be able to throw him off a very tall surface.

"I… don't know" He seemed confused at his own answer too. I had to fight the urge to turn and look at him, gauge the expression on his face. Instead, I focused my gaze on the trees outside the worn, etched window. After a minute, I heard him sigh, the floorboards creaked as he headed for the door. "Don't leave this room unless I'm with you"

_As if I'm ever leaving this room again anyway,_ I thought and shuddered at the mental image of all those snarling wolves. It was pretty much an ensured thing that I would never be venturing outside unless Jake was out there waiting for me.

"David, why am I here?" Trees swayed outside in the breeze, the moon was hidden behind dark, grey clouds. There was barely any light in the old room but I could tell he was looking directly at me, his eyes piercing right through me even in the dark.

"I don't know" He said again. I rolled my eyes wondering if he knew anything. It figured that the guy in charge of me didn't know a thing. I pulled the blanket up to my chin, feeling colder than I ever had before.

"Where am I?" I asked and this time I heard a chuckle. The door creaked open, a little light poured in and I could still feel him looking at me. It sent shivers up my spine.

"That I do know, but I can't tell you" and after a minute, while I debated throwing something at his head, the door closed, plunging the room into darkness.


	14. Chapter 14

Okay. Sorry I haven't posted, I've been saving up the chapters so you can read it straight through, which means you HAVE to review at the end. I'll put up the last four tomorrow morning, like early cause I've got a plane to catch but yeah. The story will actually be finished by July nd. I swear I should get an award for this or something. Anyway, read, hopefully enjoy and deffinitely REVIEW!! Thanks :)

Chapter 14:

Cara:

After the first two nights, I lost track of time. I slept when I wanted to, for lack of anything else to do, woke up when I wanted to. Sometimes it would be light, others time it was dark. Early morning or late night. I was never sure how long I slept and never heard the door open. The only sign that it had would be the tray of food, carefully balanced on the shabby old desk in the corner. By the time I convinced myself that it wasn't poisoned, it was cold.

A few times David would come in, take the tray away and never once would I say a word. Just purposefully keep my eyes from looking at him, ignore his questions and comments. It was petty but it gave me a sort of satisfaction. Sure, I was kidnapped, but that didn't mean I had to be friendly about it.

I found out that during the day, the kids who belonged to this Pack would play outside, right below my window. I'd heard them first and in an annoying bout of boredom, I'd gotten up and watched them play soccer. Eventually, I could pick out the better players, the older kids and the younger ones. Some faces were even almost familiar after the third game I watched. But by that time I was about ready to scream.

Which was what I at the point of doing when David came in again, this time with a sandwich and a can of Coke. My stomach rumbled to my extreme embarrassment. It was worse when David grinned. He came over to the window, stood a few feet away, and held the food out to me but I ignored him, as usual.

"Come on, Cara. I know you've got to be starving by now" he taunted.

I was, really, really starving actually, but caving to him would be something I could never live down. For some sick reason, my mind had decided to play this stupid game and now I was regretting it.

A tall boy with shaggy hair, a little like Jacob's, scored a goal and ran around the makeshift field in a victory lap, some of the younger kids following after him. I smiled without actually meaning to and caught myself a minute too late.

"Nobody's going to kill you for smiling. It's actually considered normal in the world" David put the sandwich and the soda on my bed with a sigh and sat himself down right after.

_Oh, great._ I groaned internally. This was going to be a social visit, something I was really not in the mood for. What was wrong with him? Why was he constantly trying to start a conversation with me, someone who obviously did not want to contribute to one? I was seriously beginning to question his judgment.

The kids divided teams again, to be fair, and I looked away. My back was still to David, who still sat there, quiet as a mouse. With a sinking heart, I looked down at the onyx and opal ring on my left hand, bit down a sigh just looking at it, my eyes almost convincing me that I could see Jake's face in the smooth, dark surface.

"Another smile? Two in one day, yay me" David's ability to make me grind my teeth was really getting on my nerves. I curled my hand into a fist, hiding the ring from his view and mine. It was better if I didn't look at it too much.

"What do you want, David?" I finally asked. My patience had been slowly, slowly wearing thin. I guess you could hear it in my voice because he blinked his green eyes and grinned. He was always grinning lately.

"Just a conversation… oh, and for you to not die of starvation" He nodded to the food next to him. I prayed for my stomach to stay silent. It didn't. "Just take it, Cara"

"No" I said through clenched teeth. But I wanted to, so badly. I could almost taste the carbonated bubbles, taste the ham and cheese and bread. Not my favorite lunch but it was better than nothing… which was what I was going to have.

"You're being stupid" David told me. I shrugged and looked down at my feet, bare and cold because when I'd shifted what felt like ages ago, I'd left my change of clothes at home. However, I'd woken up dressed in a flannel shirt and baggy jeans. I didn't want to know whose.

Sunlight suddenly washed into the room as a cloud moved across the surface of the sky. I could see dust swirling in the air, felt a nice, gentle breeze caress my neck. I wished I could take a shower, comb out my way too tangled hair but I was too stubborn to ask. David was looking at me in a way that made me too uncomfortable, made me feel awkward in my own skin. Nobody had looked at me that way since….

David was up and at the door in seconds, before I could even blink. He'd shoved his hands in his pocket, his hair fell into his eyes and his jaw clenched and unclenched. He threw open the door with a surprising amount of force, barely flinching when it hit the back wall.

"Cara…"

"What?" I grumbled, returning my attention to the game outside. The girls vs. the boys, and the girls were winning. How ironic.

"I know you don't want to but…. You might as well get used to me, to talking to me. Get used to it now because soon…" He sighed and stepped into the hall, the door inching closed behind him. "Eat" he said and the door slammed shut.

Soon what? I stared out the window, then at the door, then at the food on my bed, confused beyond compare at the instability of David's personality. I knew he was complicated and hot-headed but this split-personality thing was really getting annoying. But what did he mean by that last statement? With the heavy feeling of failure, I went over to the bed and picked up the sandwich. My stomach rumbled the moment my hand touched the bread. One bite wouldn't kill me.

I sat and devoured my sandwich, wondering briefly when the next tray would come, and decided I wasn't going to wait for "soon". All I had to wait for was nighttime. I pulled the tab on the soda, the bubbles tingling my nose. I squinted out my window as I chewed, a plan forming in my mind. So my first attempt hadn't gone quiet right, my second was going to work, I was sure of it.

The sun was setting and soon it would be dark out, dark enough to escape…again.

Jake:

We left first thing, probably because I kept hassling everyone into moving faster. No packs full of tents and whatever else normal humans carry, just the bare necessities, like food because Leah refused to eat anything caught in the wild. In the end I think we all sort of agreed with her on that one.

I'd eaten breakfast with my sisters and my Dad, told them I was going on a hiking trip with Embry and Quil- though I had the feeling Billy knew a little bit more. He looked at me with those serious brown eyes and nodded as like an approval or something. I'd grabbed my stuff and ran out the door.

It was a good day for what we were doing. The sun was out and beaming, but the sky was heavy with clouds, cooling it down. We could run fast and far without getting too overheated. Which was what I'd intended to do anyway. This just made it less exhausting.

The Pack had been waiting outside my garage, already phased out and pacing. Leah huffed at either the fact that I was late by a second or because there was a new wolf running around. Meghan stood facing the trees, head tilted to the side, her tail swishing. She was a weird color grey, like ashes and when she felt me looking at her she turned and nodded towards the trees.

According to Meghan, it would take two days to get to their camp. Even if we kept running straight there without breaks. Which meant roughly four days, with Leah. The princess of the forest.

_You seem less catatonic today._ Embry came up on my right side, catching up with me and Meghan in the lead. Even though he was smaller than me, he'd kept pace pretty easily the past three hours.

_**I wonder why that is**_, I thought. I grinned at him for the first time in what felt like ever. It was just the feeling of actually moving toward Cara, it was like there really was an invisible tether stretched between us and it was getting smaller and smaller each second. My heart wouldn't stop pounding.

_So you trust her then?_ The sight of Meghan from Embry's view poured over my sight, along with clips of the movie he'd watched yesterday. Something with Steve Martin.

_**It's not like we really had a choice, but yeah.**_ I wasn't sure when I should tell him that she was tuned into our thoughts already, that she was hearing what I was hearing. Cara probably would have told him cause she felt bad but I on the other hand lived to torment him.

_I guess… then yeah, I trust her too I guess. She seems like a pretty good kid. Oh and I think Paul- __**She can hear what your saying.**_ Looked like now was the right time. I cut in before he said something we'd really regret. He looked at her then we looked back at Paul, so unusually quiet since she'd showed up. He was probably still coping.

The day dragged by for what seemed like forever, but whenever I looked up, the sun had moved across the sky and we were still running, getting closer and closer. Something had filled every space in my body with this buzzing energy that was not adrenaline. It was like the blood in my veins was made of fireworks. And I knew exactly where it had come from. It was electric and hopeful.

_Cara,_ I thought to myself. _We're coming to get you. _


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

Cara:

It had never taken so long for twilight to come. Ever, in my entire lifetime. Of course the one time I really needed the sun to set, it takes forever. But that's the way of world apparently.

I sat on my bed, ignoring David as usual when he came in, and just stared out the window, waiting. I was antsy and anxious just sitting there. For understandable reasons, I couldn't wait for another chance to escape. The plan was perfect in my mind, completely fool proof. I'd done the research, like any good student.

At around the same time each night, the wolves outside switched shifts- wolves coming in phasing in the forest, wolves going out phasing around the side of the house. Which evidently left nobody on guard for about five minutes. Which meant I had five minutes to get out and run. Run fast. Across the front lawn, dodging any possible sightings, keeping to shadows, and making it into the darkened trees right outside my window.

In the fading sunlight coming through said window, I grinned, imagining the look on David's face when he came in and found me gone. But I wouldn't miss it too much, not enough to stay and see it myself. I'd be going home, getting a supernatural restraining order and trying to put this whole thing behind me. Hopefully.

A floorboard creaked right outside my door and I could see the shadow of a foot under the crack. It paused for a minute, forcing my heart to stop then start at a faster pace. I sighed when whoever it was moved on, footsteps echoing further down the hall.

I was so sick of this place and these weird people. The desire to be home was so intense it was like a visible force around me. But what if it didn't work? I shot down the thought before it could make me nervous, make me panic before I'd even started. There would be enough panicking going on while I was running, just sitting here and stressing out would do me no amount of good.

For a while, I was absorbed in my own thoughts which had been a jumbled mess to begin with and when I finally blinked and became aware of the world again, it was dark. Not just in the room, but outside the window too.

I jumped up, afraid that I had missed my chance but when I saw the same brown wolf pacing down below my window I sighed, hand on my racing heart. There wasn't time to wonder about whether I'd fallen asleep or not, it didn't really matter anyway. I'd be outside soon, feeling real fresh air on my skin, through my hair.

Looking out at the starry sky, the moon nowhere in sight, I realized how much I'd missed being outside in the however many days I'd been stuck in that shabby old room. With closed eyes, I imagined the cliffs and the smell of the sea, running on the sands at First Beach. My heart ached just thinking about home.

_But not for long, _I thought and opened my eyes.

As always, it was eerily silent. The only sound was my own breathing and movements until a door slammed open, I heard the muffled voices of men down outside my window. I ran over and threw it open, but kept myself safely hidden from view behind the tattered curtain.

Seven men came into my line of vision and seven wolves came out of their hidden lookouts. My heart started pounding in my throat as my plan started to come into action. This was it. My hands curled around the edges of the curtain, holding tightly as I watched the men run around to the back of the house, the wolves dash for the shaded trees.

I waited five seconds, wondering if this was a good idea and decided it was the best I was going to come up with.

"Okay, okay" I whispered. I glanced nervously at the door before easing one leg, then the other out the window. It wasn't a far drop, maybe ten feet at most, funny because it had taken me forever to find my way out of the hallways, but it took five seconds for me to drop to freedom. I silently thanked their lack of planning and dropped without any hesitation.

My feet hit the hard packed ground but I managed to stay upright. I crouched behind a bush, momentarily wishing I'd made rope out of my sheets or something. Outside, I could hear voices, laughter, coming through the window right above me, the room two floors under mine. Light leaked out and over onto the lawn in front of me. My entire body was almost shaking with adrenaline.

Slowly, so I wouldn't make a sound, I crept along the house, ducking under the window and behind the bushes, trying to keep mainly to the shadows. It seemed like suddenly my breathing was on surround sound audio, way too loud. I tried to get my breathing under control as I crept, ignoring the sharp rocks digging into my bare foot.

There was a loud slam, like a screen door closing, and a sigh. I froze, blinded by the railing of the small porch of this old house surrounded by forestry and shadows. In the middle of nowhere. My chest hurt because of my pounding heart, slamming against my breastbone.

_I'm wasting time, _I thought, cringing at the thought of being found again. It was not something I wanted to repeat anytime soon.

With my eyes fixed toward where the front door had to be, I slunk even further into the shadows, feeling with my hand as I went. I felt the hard concrete base of the house, the wooden paneling. Felt leaves and branches and…

My hand brushed against something soft and warm. I brought my hand up, then down and it moved, like a jump. The breath literally died in my lungs, my eyes widened and the beating of my heart completely stopped. I probably would have appeared dead to an EMT.

_Oh… my…god._

"Oh my god" I jumped at the voice, saying out loud what I was thinking. It was soft, whispered but deep. Someone else not wanting to get caught? It made me sick thinking there were more kidnapped people around.

I turned and came face to face with a boy, probably twelve, with kind of messy hair and what seemed like dark eyes. He stared at me with about as much shock as I stared at him with. We both stayed crouched low, gawking at each other in the shadows obviously trying not to get noticed. The blood started rushing back through my veins, slowly.

"You're that girl they took, right?" He asked. I blinked at him and suddenly realized I'd wasted so much time. I looked at the trees, didn't see any movement and swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Depends, did they take other girls, too?" I replied.

"What are you doing out…oh" My shadow buddy froze, threw a nervous glance over his shoulder like he was afraid to be caught with me, the victim in this scenario. But when he turned back around, he was grinning. To my surprise.

"Need any help?" He asked. And just like that, my throat closed up, I felt tears begin to sting my eyes. It was stupid, but having this boy offer to help me, the person his pack had just kidnapped, made me want to cry, want to hug him. I almost did, too but he grabbed my hand and tugged me along after him without even waiting for an answer.

We slipped around the corner of the huge house, or mansion now that I'd seen part of the outside, and came around to the side where the distance between the woods and house was smaller, but barely. We crouched down and looked all around.

"So, you're going to run straight into the trees, got it? And I'm going to follow but keep them distracted if they see you. They'll just think I was alone" He looked at me for approval but he didn't need it. He was my momentary hero, this boy I'd met less than two minutes earlier.

"Thank you" I said, barely believing my luck. It crossed my mind that he could be a trick or a trap but the look on his face seemed genuine enough that I knew that was never a possibility.

"Aw, well…" He shrugged, if I'd been able to see his face, I'd bet he was blushing too. There was a loud laugh from somewhere in the house, the screen door slammed shut again. "Go, go"

And I went. Without another glance back, I jumped to my feet and ran faster than I'd ever run on two legs. My hair whipped out behind me, my arms pumped at my sides and in seconds I was passing under the first layers of leaves and branches.

Any possible light was consumed by shadow, the thick treetops blocking out the starry sky. But my superhuman eyes caught what little light there was, giving me enough to go by. I leapt over twisted roots jutting from the ground and I felt like laughing as I ran, feeling so free and fast that nothing could catch me.

Nothing except the arm locking around my waist, yanking me off my feet with a hand slapped over my mouth.

I kicked, I tried to scream, I hit but still those strong arms stayed locked. All at once, what little exhilaration I'd been feeling vanished replaced by disbelief, hatred, anger. Sorrow. Suddenly I wanted nothing more than to cry.

"Ssh… ssh, don't let them hear you" The voice was deep in my ear, lips brushed against my cheek in an attempt to keep as quiet as possible. For an unrealistic second I thought that maybe it was Jake and I whipped around in those arms praying it was really him.

But it wasn't. As expected. It was David. Of course.

"I told you not to leave that room" He growled. Anger radiated off of him so strongly I felt myself getting tanner by the second. His jaw clenched and the muscles jumped in his neck as he fought to control himself.

We stood, frozen in the forest, listening for anyone else. I was overly aware of the close proximity of our bodies. I didn't like it. It felt wrong, twisted, not natural. The only body I should ever be that close to was Jake's, not David's. My chest and stomach was almost completely touching his. It made me queasy just standing there.

"Okay, I think-" Just then, a body came hurling out of the trees, smacking into his back. I squeezed my eyes shut, knowing exactly who it would and silently willing him away.

"Oops! Sorry, sorry! Oh… uh, hi, David" My little hero stammered and stared at his feet, panting hard for breath. I almost smiled when I saw he'd kept his word, followed after me. I also wanted to cry because of the wasted effort.

I was caught… again.

"Go back to the Lodge, Scott" David told him and Scott nodded quickly, glanced at me with a grimaced before darting off again. Taking my last hope with him. What I really felt like was giving up all of a sudden, because what was the point?

"Let's go. Honestly, why can't you just listen to me?" He asked, more to himself as he dragged me all the way back the way I had come. My mental answer went something along the lines of "Because you are a kidnapping lunatic who thinks he's way more attractive than he is and comes off like a conceited pig for it?"

Either way, I couldn't stop myself from looking behind me as I stumbled along behind him, my eyes pleading with the dark trees to produce some miracle. Like a meteor...aim at his head.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

Cara:

The trip was the same. Back up the stairs, past the staring werewolves who wanted to kill me. The smell of something really delicious made my mouth water, my stomach growled because I hadn't eaten anything beside that ham sandwich in days.

David dragged me through the same hallways, to the same door, and sat me down on the same bed. He saw the open window, sighed with a shake of his curly head, and slammed it shut, like my dreams of going home. In less than ten minutes flat, I was stuck back in my cell, right where I'd started with a huge bruise on my foot to show for my almost successful escape plot. I crossed my arms over my chest and silently fumed at everything all at once.

"You're lucky it was me that caught you, that's all I'm going to say about that" David leaned against the window sill, directly in my line of vision. Like purposefully making me grind my teeth even more.

"Why does it not feel that way?" I shot back through a clenched jaw. There was a mind-numbing headache working its way up to my brain, I could already feel the dull ache at my temples.

"Considering the alternative of it not being me that found you, I'd be grateful. Imagine life or death, then make it reality"

Life or death? I forced myself to swallow, my throat almost too dry from running and the steady panic and nervousness. Was it possible that for the second time David had actually _helped_ me rather than make my life any worse? Why was my mind having a hard time accepting that? I threw a hesitant glance at David, who stared back at me, then I let my gaze drop back to the floor.

"So they would have…." I let the question ask itself, let the words hung in the air between us. The bed suddenly seemed really comfortable and all I wanted just then was to stretch out and just sleep forever. But having David stand there watching me made that kind of an impossibility.

"They want to" He answered and it sent shivers through my entire body, up and down my spine.

I hugged myself, for the first time looking up at David with his curly hair and green eyes. He seemed so much older to me but he couldn't be more than twenty. Yet somehow there was something about him that told me his age didn't matter, he was way older than twenty, life experience wise. I realized that he'd have done a lot of things in his life to get that hard, cold stare and I wondered what that would entail.

"Do you want to kill me?" I asked. The words felt weird in my mouth, saying them out loud seemed to make them realer, the threat an actual possibility. I instantly regretted asking in the first place, because the answer could be really bad.

A pause. A long pause that hung in the air between us.

The crickets sang outside.

"I… don't know. Sometimes… you just… you drive me insane, mad. I can't remember who I am around-"He caught himself, his jaw snapped shut with an audible snap. David's green eyes flashed open for the briefest second, meeting my widening ones. "I don't think I could, even if I wanted to. I could kill if you asked me to, do anything you asked me to, but I could never… I want to kill you sometimes, but I know I never could"

"What if _she_ made you?" My voice was barely a whisper, his last answer thoroughly taking my breath away. "What if you didn't have a choice?"

"Nobody can make me do anything" hissed David, like I'd asked him to sell his kidney. His voice was so angry and tense I had to look up, see the real venom in his face. But I couldn't see it, he was bathed in shadow, hidden from where I could see.

"So it's okay to make me do things I don't want to, but not you?"  
"That's not the same thing"  
"It's not? Really?"

"No! I earned this, I worked for that right! You… you were just born into it" I flinched at his shout, his tone. My face flushed with heat, my hands were almost shaking. This was the David I was afraid of even though I hadn't seen him before that moment. Suddenly I didn't want to look at him, so I stared at the floor, the shadows. "I worked so hard and she's still making me…"

In a sudden rush, he pushed off the wall and was at the door in seconds, before I could even take my next breath and before his last words had even been said. I blinked and he was gone, the door closed with a quiet _snick_. For a while I stared at the place he'd just been- confused and tired and wondering where the old David had gone and almost wanting him back.

After one flustered look at the stars out my window, I threw myself down onto my back, dragged the pillow over my face and tried to forget the past fifteen minutes had ever happened.

Jake:

I sat up watching the fire crackle and sputter steadily out. It was a huge red dash of light in the darkness, the heat was scorching my face and arms where I leaned against a tree way too close for comfort.

We'd traveled straight the entire day, only stopping once and surprisingly not at Leah's demand. Now the Pack lay asleep, wrapped in blankets we'd carried along with the one minimal outfit we'd each brought. I was too pumped to sleep, to even stop moving really. My foot kept tapping, I kept switching where I sat because we were _so _close now I could feel it. The air wasn't as deserted, wasn't as alone. There were people nearby somewhere and Cara was one of them. It sent my heart spiraling.

"Couldn't sleep either?" I blinked against the firelight and saw Meghan standing next to me with her blanket wrapped around her. I didn't really see why she needed it but didn't say anything, I owed her too much to nag.

"Not now" She nodded with her gaze fixed on the flames. "We're close aren't we?" I couldn't help but ask, even though I knew this was going to be hard on the girl who was so young to be going through this. The anticipation bubbled over in my voice.

"Very. We'll be there way before lunch tomorrow. Morning shifts wouldn't even have been changed yet" Meghan sighed, her shoulders slumping as she did.

I sat there next to her, not really knowing what to do, thinking I should probably pat her on the back or something but that seemed to be the opposite of what she needed. Cara would have known what to do in this situation, even _Leah_ would have had some clue. But put a guy in that scenario, he's hopeless. So I settled with just sitting there next to her, not saying a word but that seemed to oddly work.

"How old is your brother?" I finally asked after clearing my throat about five times. But I saw a small smile in the dim light. I thought about my own sisters and wondered if they'd go to all this trouble for me… probably yes until they found out I'd used one of their shirts as an oil rag.

"He's twelve" Meghan laughed but there was no humor in it, just bitter resentment I didn't understand. "He doesn't even remember what life was like before we got dragged into Diana's world. Imagine all the good in Princess Diana and turn it all into bad. That's _Queen_ Diana"

"That's Cara's mom" I said, finding it really hard to believe yet again. In my mind the two images stood next to each other, as opposite as the poles. Light vs. dark.

"Yeah, well… "

It was silent again, the only sound the crackle and pops from the fire. There was a root sticking into my leg which had fallen asleep a while ago but I didn't want to move in case she got the wrong idea. I knew what she hadn't said, it was as obvious as the root jabbing me. At least Cara has a mom. Whatever good that does her.

After taking a deep breath I said, "We'll get your brother. I promise"

Something moved in the darkness behind us, making me jump slightly but Meghan barely even blinked. A shadow had clouded her face and she looked like a completely different person because of it. I propped my elbows on my knees and watched her in the dim light as she thought about that.

"We'll see" was all she said. Then she stood, brushed herself off and turned away, leaving me alone to sit and think and wait again. "Goodnight, Jake"


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

Cara:

I heard the voices first. If that statement doesn't make me seem crazy.

"Ssh… you'll wake her"  
"She needs to wake up anyway. We have to get her ready"  
"Poor thing, sometimes I just don't understand that woman"

My sleep clouded mind didn't fully understand what they were saying, just that they were saying something. It was too early and I'd had too long a night to be woken up this way. The voices kept murmuring, whispering, the floorboards creaked slightly under them and the sound of cloth rustling reached my ears. With a groan I dragged the sheet over my head.

"Oh, good. She's awake" someone said. Her voice was light and airy, something you'd picture a nice old lady sounding like. I didn't like it.

"Go away" I mumbled.

A chuckle. "Sorry, dear, but rise and shine. We've got work to do" Not only did the prospect of doing work seem really unpleasant, having the sheet then ripped out of my hands and tossed on the floor was even worse.

I blinked in the way too bright sunlight, trying to remember when the morning had ever been this sunny. The sudden brightness made my headache, caused red and yellow splotches behind my eyes. Not even five minutes and I was sure this day was going to be a bad… in a long chain of bad days.

"Now. Which color, powder blue or white?" Something was shoved in front of my face at too close a range, forcing me back off my elbows and squinting.

Slowly as my vision came swimming back I pieced together the scene in front of me. Hovering over my bed were three women, varying from really pale to really dark. The one in the middle turned out to be the one who had spoke, holding two pieces of cloth under my nose. They were all young, maybe not college young but not old. The lightest one had white blonde hair tied back in a braid, the middle one had hair the color of honey, pin straight in a pony tail, and the darkest one had hair curling all the way down her back. I was insanely jealous of all three.

"Who are you?" I blurted out before I'd had time to think. I blushed, stupidly embarrassed and shy in front of these three obviously beautiful women. I felt my cheeks flush, heat rise on my neck and at the same time I cursed myself for letting it show.

"Your fairy godmothers, duh" Said the blonde one. She got very expressive looks from the other two, who just sadly shook their heads. It reminded me vaguely of Quil and Embry around Paul.

"We're here to get you up and dressed and ready for the big day ahead, that's all" The darker of the three spoke for the first time. She smiled down at me where I lay sprawled in confused shock. "I'm Helene. This is Tori and Devin"

"Add an 'E' and I'm _Devine"  
_"In what parallel universe?"  
"Hmm… jealousy? How-"

"How irrelevant and time consuming. Quick, now pick one" the two fabrics were shoved into my face again while the room fell into silence again and my mind struggled to keep up with them.

Firstly it was too early for this amount of thought to be going on, second I still had no idea what was going on, and third the two swatches in front of me looked practically the same, the blue so light it was almost the same color as the white. All I could do was sit and stare at the two while I tried to wake myself up but it was hard. I'd stayed awake too late last night, wrapped in my own thoughts about so many things that I'd barely closed my eyes before these three were shaking me awake. In hopes that they would give me room to breathe, I nodded toward the blue.

"That one" I mumbled. Devin, the blonde, pulled a face- obviously not her choice- but the other two nodded and seemed please.

The sun was pouring into the room, illuminating literally every inch of old space. Sounds of life came flouting in through the open window and I realized that something felt different this morning. Not just the fact there were people here, talking to me and looking like they didn't want to kill me, but something….

"Hey, get up! We can't dress you like that" My eyes darted to the Three. They were too happy, too bright, for me and when I looked over at them, my entire body froze.

I realized what was different. The room was spotless, perfect, pristine. Completely rejuvenated. No cobwebs, peeling wallpaper, dust. Nothing. Every surface was clean and shining and in the center of the newly redone room, they stood with a huge mirror, tons of really frilly looking fabric, shoe boxes, flowers, what could only be makeup and who knows what else. If I didn't know any better…

"Dress me for what, exactly?" I dared to ask. The majority of me didn't want to know, but curiosity as always won out.

It was a bad sign when they exchanged glances, heavy with something I couldn't read. The bed springs creaked as I pushed myself up, heart starting to thud faster.

"You… don't know?" Tori asked, sounding totally dumbfounded. I felt the need to remind her that I didn't know much locked up in a room for a few days with nobody to talk to but David and even then… not much for words.

Devin burst out in a rush, "How could she _not_ know? It's like common knowledge!" Her eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"Well, she was raised outside of the Pack. Maybe nobody told her" Helene added. They were keeping me out of their seemingly prvate conversation.

"Told me _what?!_" Now I was internally panicking. Whatever was going on, I had a strong feeling I would not like it, like much of what had happened to me recently. I looked from one to other, waiting for them to say what was happening. I was confused, lost in their seemingly private conversations and desperately needing to know what more I was going to be forced to do.

Still, despite my wide, frantic look, none of them spoke. Like they were afraid to speak first. After a minute I realized why they didn't want to say anything to me… _my mother._ She was the leader, and I was therefore the leader's daughter. Like yelling at the president's daughter, only I had a feeling much worse on the consequences side. The image of her, cold blue eyes, distant smile and face. I suddenly understood their hesitation.

"You can tell me… honest. Doesn't have to leave the room. Just, _please_, tell me" I really hoped my eyes were pleading enough, really hoped they could see the need to know in my eyes.

"Well…" Helene shifted from foot to foot. She looked down, her hair falling across her face, probably to cover the nervous glance to Tori and Devin. "Um…"

"Come on" I prompted.

"You're getting married!... wooh?" Devin twirled her finger sarcastically while she got glares from the other women but I barely saw.

The blood drained from my face, my heart was beating for fast and so heavy I was sure it would burst from my ribcage. I suddenly couldn't hear their voices, hear the sounds of the outside world. My vision was tunneling while I tried to process what she'd just said... married? As in... vows, white dress?

It couldn't be true, I told myself, but little pieces of the things that had happened over the past days clicked into place so easily I wondered why I could see it myself. David's strange comments about getting used to the room, Diana's own voice telling me I'd be going to where I truly belonged. Suddenly I couldn't breathe right, couldn't get enough oxygen.

"That's enough, thank you" Her voice cut through the daze, snapping the world back into focus almost too quickly. I felt sick, dizzy.

I was vaguely aware of the sad glances Tori, Helene and Devin sent me but my tunneled vision was aimed completely on Diana, who stood in the doorway in all her proud, cold glory. The sight of her made me even sicker than I already felt.

The door shut quietly behind them, leaving just me and _her_. I was ninety-nine percent positive I had never hated anyone more than I hated her in that instant. Even the sight of her had my teeth grinding, my fists curling and tightening. She just stood at a distance, watching my angry reaction.

Silence stretched between us, hers calm and cool, mine tense and angry. I was still having a hard time thinking straight, believing. However, that look in her eyes as she watched told me everything. I should have known, I thought, that keeping me locked up was the least of my troubles. I should have known and I felt stupid even knowing that.

"I won't do it" I ground out through tight, clenched teeth. My heart was beating so fast it almost hummed and vibrated in my chest. A weird buzzing energy filled my body until I could barely hear anything but the blood in my ears.

Diana regarded me for a minute before saying in that low, collected voice, "You'll have no choice"

My heart sunk to my feet. Of course I wouldn't have a choice, how could I have thought otherwise. Having a choice with her was like… having an airplane without wings. Not possible.

"It's your duty, as the Beta's daughter, as it is the duty of the Alpha's son. Tradition generations long. You won't break it" she said, pushing my heart even further into recluse. I could feel tiny hairline cracks forming even as it kept on beating. I could barely breathe, think, swallow. It wasn't real.

"I… I can't" I whispered. My eyes saw straight through the bed, down through the floor, through the house, through to the core of earth and still I couldn't escape my prison. I felt my fingers ball the blanket into my fist but couldn't remember giving my body the command.

"You can and you will… besides, it's for the best. That boy back in La Push was just a distraction. It's time you grew up"

_Jake_. The name hit my heart hard. She meant Jake. His mental image flouted up before my eyes, every little detail as I'd memorized him so many times. His russet skin and deep, red-brown eyes. His shaggy hair that never quiet did what he wanted but worked anyway. I could feel his hand in mine, his skin against mine, his lips moving with mine. I heard his voice and his laugh, felt my heart give it's giddy jump at the thought of him, then felt it sputter out when I realized it was a daydream… he wasn't really there, he was nowhere in sight. I could have cried right then if not for the desperate desire to not show any weakness in front of Diana.

"W-who… who's the alpha's…?" I couldn't even finish the question, my throat ached too much, it was so hard for me speak without my voice cracking on the end.

Oh, I didn't want to know the answer because it felt like I would be accepting it. Like admitting I was being forced to do this. I sent a fast, silent prayer that a miracle would happen, lightning would strike the guy, or me worse case. Diana smiled slightly as she looked at the twisted, tormented emotions flash across my face.

"I believe you've met him before. Certainly he knows you, feels quite strongly too. Shame" I could hear the individual thuds of my heart as it slowed. I already knew, before she opened her mouth. "His name is, David? Familiar?"


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

Jake:

Meghan had been right. Not even an hour after we'd set out that next morning, we heard them. As we got closer, their voices became clearer, more pronounced. The air was suddenly buzzing with excitement and energy. I wished there was some way I could reach Cara, talk to her, tell her I was almost there but physically being this close was good enough- for now.

_Okay, quiet and keep watch. They've got guards._ Meghan's voice filled our heads. Images of different colored wolves, wolves we didn't know, soon came too and I realized they were some of the one's who would be out, watching. She was amazing me more and more each minute.

The Pack, plus Meghan, visibly altered how we walked, how we moved in the shadows and brush. We crouched low to the ground, our ears slicked back. Without even having to look, my feet moved along the quietest possible path. Like shadows themselves, we moved along through the trees, getting closer and closer.

While the Pack got more and more pumped as we went, Meghan seemed to get more nervous, more jumpy. I brushed my shoulder against hers, to show a bit of support for this girl who seemed like a younger sister to me. It was weird, but I felt this need to protect her for some reason, this need to watch over her, out for her, and I made up my mind that I'd keep an eye on her today.

When I looked up there was a house looming ahead of us, breaking the steady pattern of trees and greenery. It was huge, four times the size of my own and that was just at this angle. The wood was worn down, probably creaked every step you made. My eyes scanned the entire face of it and suddenly stopped on one window. I couldn't look away from it, some nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach pulled me toward it. Cara was there, I was sure of it.

Laughter exploded from somewhere around the house, getting closer and louder. We ducked for cover, places where we could see without being seen. A group of men came around the side, talking and laughing. I bit back a growl at the sight of the people who had kidnapped her, Sam sent me a warning look.

"Have you seen her?" My head snapped up, ears pricked. Their laughter stopped, new curiosity in the question.

"No but he has, haven't you?"  
"Yeah… she's kind of waif-ish. Tiny thing, kind of sad just looking at her really"  
"David seems to like her already though so that's good. At least he'll be gentle with the little girl"

_David_. Just hearing his name made my teeth grind and my claws sharpen. The idea of David having anything to do with Cara made me so sick and angry I almost charged right at the men, the need to fight something really desperate in me. My ears slicked back, my fur bristled as I lowered onto my haunches. With my lips pulled back across my fangs, my shoulders rolling, I was just ready to pounce when Sam bit down on my tail.

_Calm, Jake- Yeah, don't blow it already- We came all this way, relax- Haha… blow- Ugh, grow up, Paul. _

Anger went through me in waves so strong I was almost shaking from the force of it, I swear I was almost seeing red. The men walked by, completely oblivious to me and thankfully the Pack. I was breathing hard, seething, for a while after they'd disappeared around the other corner and only once I'd calmed down did Sam let go.

_Never, ever, make me do that again._ He thought, pulling a face.

I took a deep breathe and turned to face them. It was still early, they'd be caught unaware, hopefully giving us the advantage and time we needed. Vaguely, I was still aware of that window- two floors up, tattered white curtains- but I shook it off and forced my mind to clear and focus. I was just about to relay a plan to the others when I saw something, a flicker in the shadows.

There was a shuffle shortly after and we turned as one toward the sound. The steady rhythm of my heart starting skipping beats, started losing some of its order into something more frantic and frenzied.

We circled closer to the source of the scuffling, our bodies tensed and ready, and when we'd gotten within ten feet of the shaded underbrush, they ambushed.

Cara:

David. She was going to make me marry _David. Marry_ him. It felt like the floor was rushing up at me, the walls sort of closing in. I felt dizzier than I had before when I'd actually found I was getting married in the first place. Because there was only one person I wanted to marry and he wasn't there.

"W-why?" I was breathless and stammering, shaky just sitting down. Now more than ever I was trying to convince myself that this was a dream.

_When I open my eyes, I'll be safe and home, Jake will be ringing the doorbell any second. I'll have to thing of something to make for dinner for Dad and me. Oh, and I can't forget to do the laundry._

"Birthright, responsibility, tradition. Take your pick" My clouded, wide eyes traveled up, up from my clenched fists to my mother's face. Her steady gaze didn't intimidate me anymore, just angered me, pushed me.

In a burst of energy, I flew to my feet, hands balled at my sides, jaw grinding, eyes glaring. It was all because of her in the first place. I'd been mad at David when really, he'd been following orders- despite how he says nobody can make him do anything he doesn't want to do. He listens to Diana- mainly because she'd probably kill him if he didn't. And that aggravated me even more. What right did she have to ruin people's lives? Who gave her that power?

I opened my mouth to speak just as there was a startled scream from outside. Her eyes widened just a fraction. In seconds, shouts and yells came bleeding in through my window. Was I afraid, excited? Whatever it was, my heart started its rapid fire beating. My fists slackened as we listened in the tense silence to the apparent chaos outside.

Men and women were yelling, feet were pounding down the hall outside, doors slamming all around. It genuinely sounded like the world was coming to an end in this small community until another sound echoed above the human voices. It was loud and angry and fierce… and it filled every corner of my body with light.

"Jake!" I ran to the window, threw it as wide as it could possible go and stuck my head out. The growl was still ringing in my ears but it had to be the greatest sound I'd ever heard.

There were crashes, heavy thuds, the loud snaps of trees bending. Down below, people stood in a gathered mob, all facing the woods where the sounds were coming from. More angry growls and howls came pouring out into the air and the sounds made my heart soar. Diana came and stood behind me but I barely noticed or bothered to feel awkward at how close she was. My eyes were fixed on the trees below.

Suddenly a big, black wolf came flying out of the trees- Sam- followed shortly by a chocolate brown one- Paul. Paul limped slightly on his hind, left paw but he seemed otherwise stable. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of them. My heart was beating so fast I almost couldn't breathe because of its speed. Tears stung my eyes, my throat started to choke up and Embry came tumbling out. I saw his dark eyes dart up, lock on me, and he howled, loud and almost happy.

Enemy wolves worked their way through the people, circling my Pack members and with a sinking heart I realized they were outnumbered. By about thirty. Leah, Quil, Jared and one I didn't recognize.. They all came rushing into the open and before I even realized it, before my eyes could send the image to my brain, so did Jake. And he was beautiful.

He crouched and growled, his sleek red-brown fur shining in the sunlight. Jake was big and powerful compared to the other wolves- even Sam and Jared. Even the wolves who when human were over twenty years older than Jacob Black from La Push, Washington. Still, he was so strong, so fierce I almost couldn't recognize him, but my heart knew him instantly.

"Jake" I sighed, a whole new wave of tears threatening to spill over at the sight of him, here, trying to save me.

Then he looked up, directly at me, like he'd known I was there, like he'd heard me whisper his name. I smiled down at him, feeling really silly like a Disney Princess stuck in her tower, and he gave that goofy wolf grin- the only he could pull off with fangs. I almost broke down in sobs of joy.

"Brave. But foolish"

My smile slipped at the quiet comment behind my back. Her cold, calm voice sent shivers down my spine while my eyes stayed locked on Jake's form. They were trapped now, surrounded and outnumbered. I forgot how to breathe as I watched, fear almost paralyzing me in place.

"To risk an entire Pack's safety…"

Diana's pack moved in on my Pack, forcing them to surrender. Paul was already hurt, Quil had one long gash on his shoulder, bleeding pretty badly, Leah could barely walk on her front leg. They were completely trapped, completely beat. Jake looked up at me with a look I knew I would never forget, as long as I lived, as they were taken down… because of me.

"For a cause so helpless. They should have known they could never win"


	19. Chapter 19

Last chapter of the day. Remember, four more tomorrow. Story's not done yet. Review PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!

Chapter 19:

Cara:

I was unaware of what happened next. Stuck in a constant state of shock and dismay, borderline catatonic. My body moved, breathed, lived, but my mind was lost. The world was fuzzy and gray as Tori, Devin, and Helene worked around me.

In my head, however, a storm was raging. Guilt, so thick and intense, warped every thought. It was my fault they'd gotten captured. They were stuck like me too, now. I suddenly became the bad guy in my own thoughts and I wished briefly that I had never moved to La Push because I never would have put them in so much danger. Briefly… before an image of Jake would flash before my eyes and I'd try to remember what life was like without him, and found I couldn't.

Time ticked away. I was mildly aware of being put into a dress, powder blue and lacey. I vaguely remember picking out the fabric.

How could I have let this happen? I thought. Every fiber of being hated itself for not being fast enough to escape on my own, for not being smart enough to come up with a better plan.

Devin yanked on my hair in an attempt to comb it and she paused, checking to see if it'd had hurt too much. I'd barely even felt it. She cast a look at Helene, who was busy fitting a shoe on my foot, who just shrugged in response.

Eventually, the Three left me, alone and dressed for an occasion I wanted no part in. I looked in the tall mirror and saw someone torn. On the outside the girl was pretty… her hair was curled perfectly around her shoulder, her blue eyes ringed with the perfect amount of eyeliner, shadow and mascara, and her skin was turned flawless. The dress she wore was delicate and beautiful, a perfect wedding gown, with a neck v-ed to just the right spot, a train at just the right length. In her hands, she held flowers.

But on the inside…

My emotions were conflicting and chaotic. I could barely keep track of the passing thoughts and memories rippling across my mind. I felt anger, confusion, guilt, sadness. I felt the loss of my father who I was afraid I'd never see again. The loss of my friends, kidnapped and held because of me… the loss of my imprint, my love, who had, not a month ago, been the only future I could see.

There was a nock at the door, interrupting my thoughts.

I couldn't remember how to speak just then, so I settled with not saying a word. After a minute the door opened to reveal Devin again, her meek smile an attempt at comfort. I looked at her for a second, before returning to my reflection.

"It's time, dear" She said. I didn't move. "Come along, Cara. No use fighting the inevitable"

When I still didn't move, she came in, held my elbow and guided me out the door. The halls were as I remembered them, dark and dank, dimly lit by candles along the walls. Our footsteps echoed loudly, almost too loud, against the wood floor and concrete ceiling. I was so wrapped in on myself, my heart didn't even start its nervous fluttering.

"I can't believe you didn't know… I just-"Devin broke off whatever she was about to say. I felt her hand, warm on my elbow, shake just slightly and the tiniest bit of regret fill me. She was sweet, caring. It was a shame.

We walked in silence, each carried away with our own imaginings. I tried to picture David now, what he was doing as I walked through the halls toward him. Then Jake, as I walked away. Every dream I'd ever built up was crushed with those two thoughts, and I felt a big piece of my heart deteriorate.

The grand staircase opened in front of us and Devin paused. I looked over at her, confused, and saw the pained expression on her pale face. What was she doing?

"Listen. It'll all work out, okay? Somehow. You'll see… have faith in you fairy godmothers" She winked at the reminder of what she'd called herself that morning. I didn't feel the slightest bit consoled and without a word, I took the first step.

At the bottom of the stairs, I heard the murmurs, the music. It seemed strange that it was like a real wedding when one of those about to be wedded hadn't really agreed in the first place. It seemed false, fake, mocking. And it forced my heart even further into my feet.

The walk from the stairs down the hall on the right, a way I'd never been, to the back of the house seemed to take forever. A lifetime of me dragging my feet, wanting to puke, trying not to cry… actually, that seemed sort of accurate. But when we reached the end, the back door, I'd reached the end of my life. I wanted to just curl up and never see the light of day again. I'd reached the ultimate form of teen depression.

"Here we go" Devin muttered.

Sunlight poured in through the open door, sounds of the outside world I hadn't fully seen without having to sneak out came filtering to my ears. There was a thrill of excitement at being outside again, feeling the fresh air and sunlight, but that came with dread because going outside meant…

I stood on the threshold, half in, half out, staring out at people staring in at me. It was the entirety of my mother's Pack, all gawking waiting. I saw Scott, the boy who had tried to help my second escape, I also saw the man who had grabbed me during my first escape. My eyes wondered while I stood frozen and finally landed of Jake, way up towards the front, tied down the rest of my Pack, guarded by men.

His face was so broken, so tormented and pain-filled, tears streamed down my own face because of his pain. Those red-brown eyes were flat black, almost glistening as he had to watch me be handed over to someone else. I clamped my right hand over my left and sighed when I felt _his_ ring, _his_ promise still there. At least I'd have that.

"Go on, Cara" Devin's reminded me that I had to actually walk on my own now, toward David, who I now saw stood in the front. I looked at him, tried to plead, but he barely seemed to see me himself. His face was shadowed, his body tense and I could almost believe that maybe… he didn't want to do this either.

But no. He'd said so himself. Nobody forced him to do anything he didn't want to. Which meant he wanted to… which meant I had no choice.

I'd imagined my wedding day, but it had been different. The dress, the flowers, the aisle had been the same but still… so completely different. I was happy, for one thing, filled to the brim with love for the man I was marrying. My eyes would be locked on him as I walked, the same way I did now in real life, and I wouldn't be able to look away. He'd stand there, beaming, his eyes so light the brown had almost been completely replaced by perfect, warm red.

When I blinked though, his eyes were suddenly black. I couldn't remember that part of my dream. I blinked twice more and realized that while I'd been walking, I'd been looking at Jake, who looked at me walk to someone else. I couldn't imagine what he was feeling, but I knew he was tearing himself apart. It hurt me to think of him doing that to himself when it was really my fault. For everything.

I reached the front, reached David and I bit my tongue to keep from bursting into tears. One quick glance at David and I was surprised to find him not looking at me but at Diana, his eyes the darkest, angriest green I'd ever seen. Unhappiness rolled off of him just as mine rolled off of me.

_What's wrong with him? This is what he wants, isn't it?_ I thought. Just then, his eyes snapped to me and I flinched, looking down at my feet. I could feel not only his eyes, but the Pack's, everyone's eyes on me. My cheeks burned and face flushed.

A man dressed in all black came stood before us, a thick black book in his hand. Oh my god. I felt sick, I almost swayed on my feet and there was no way I was going to be able to look at David.

"Dearly beloved…." The man began. My hands started to shake, I felt so cold I could have been stuck in the stone age.

"You don't have to do this" My head snapped up at the quiet voice. Had I imagined it? I looked up to see David, staring intently at me, his green eyes so clear they could have been made of seaglass. "And neither do I"

"What is going on?" Diana's voice filled the sudden silence where the priest's voice had left off. She stood from her seat in all her intense glory and looked at David with such venom she could have given a viper a run for its money. A murmur ran through the crowd as I took a deep, slow breath.

"We don't have to do this" David said again, his voice louder, clearer. He looked at me as he spoke with a look I'd never forget. His eyes seemed to shine with a light they'd never had before and I'm not sure he'd ever looked more handsome.

"Of course you do" My mother stepped forward as her Pack shuffled around. I saw Scott in the back smile, the Three somewhere in the middle almost sighed with relief. "And if you think-"

"No. If you think you can force us into this your wrong. You've always been wrong and she's just been the first one to point it out" He jerked his thumb to me. The girl with the stunned face in the wedding dress. "She doesn't want to marry me and I don't want to marry her, so I won't"

"Oh_, shut-up_. You have as little say as she does in this matter and if you don't cooperate, I will force you to" With a flick of her finger, four men descended of David, tackling him to the ground and in that instant, complete chaos broke loose. I let out a startled shriek when the first punch flew towards David's face.

The Pack saw their chance and leapt to their feet, jumping right into the growing fight. Jared took down two grown men with one charge. I stood up there, watching it all with a stunned expression, still not really sure what had just happened. People surged from their seats, almost eager to join the battle, throwing punches at anyone in their way.

"Wha…?" Had I finally lost my mind? Was this real? I saw familiar faces fighting unfamiliar ones, my pack against hers and mine was actually standing a chance. There was her pack against her own pack, those who thought this was wrong too. I was shell-shocked, stunned, and barely felt the grin spreading across my face.

I was jostled, shoved a few times as bloodthirsty men ran to join in the increasing uproar. Some ran into the forest, only to come back out covered in fur seconds later. Now there were wolves fighting wolves, wolves fighting men. Stuck in the middle of the throng, all I could do was watch, wide-eyed and try not to get hit myself.

"Scott!" I heard someone yell above the growing roar. My eyes darted toward the sound and I saw a girl with dark, shoulder length hair, almost like mine, wrap her arms around Scott, who beamed and hugged her back. His sister maybe?

A hand clamped around my wrist, hot and strong and it whipped me around with so much force I yelped in surprise. But before I could get a good look at the man who had grabbed me, I was crushed in an embrace so tight, so perfectly fitted it could only be one person.

I held on so tightly, I could have been drowning. Every place my body touched his was on fire, electric charges pulsing through me. His scent washed over me- heady and intoxicating. Like summer rain and pine cones. My heart soared and hammered, those butterflies erupted in my stomach and I finally felt whole, for the first time in I wasn't sure how long.

"Cara!" Someone shouted and I whipped around in time to see David fall, right in front of me. Complete silence numbed my ears, strange compared the maddening roar from five seconds ago. All eyes turned to stare at David, clutching his side on the floor, one huge bite in his side.

And from there, we turned to stare at the source… a wolf, tall and lean and graceful with fur as pure and white as my own. My mother.

Fear and panic rushed through me at the sight of the blood seeping through David's fingers and I was afraid they would just _let_ her kill him but to my surprise, another wolf leapt in front of him, protecting him. Then another after the first, and more, until it was almost the entire Pack versus their Beta, their leader.

She growled and snapped her jaw, as vicious and venomous as her eyes had been minutes before. I hadn't even seen her phase. But it turned out her pack liked David better and without any hesitation they rounded on her, turned against her to protect him.

Jake's hand wrapped around mine in the silence, the stillness. I knew I would never, ever, let that hand go again. When I looked up in to his eyes I knew he was thinking the same thing.

A howl. It ripped through the air, angry and defiant, and seconds later when it was clear they chosen a new leader of her, Diana raced past us, faster than I'd ever seen anyone move, faster than maybe me. She disappeared in seconds, vanished practically before our eyes. For a few minutes, it was deadly quiet…

"Quick! Someone get the doctor"  
"David!"  
"He's hurt… oh, my God"

They snapped into action around us and it was suddenly like we no longer existed. My Pack came out of the woodwork, gathered around us, me and Jake, still defensive against this "other pack". My heart was still racing and Jake's hand was heavy in mine. I couldn't look away from him for anything, I wanted to memorize him all over again. After so long it felt strange that he was really there, that Quil and Embry and Paul and the others were there too, smiling at me as they had in my daydreams.

"Go, Cara… run before they remember your still here" We looked at David, who had incidentally saved me a third and fourth time. I felt a sudden, intense rush of gratitude. His green eyes locked on mine and I tried to convey how sorry, how thankful, how everything I was and I think he understood.

"Fine with me" Quil muttered. He ran without another word into the trees, followed shortly by Embry, Leah, Jared… Sam grabbed Paul's elbow and half dragged him but he pulled away, ran a few steps, his eyes searching.

"Wait… no, we promised… Meghan! Meghan!" He shouted, hands cupped around his mouth. Someone shouted his name back and seconds later, I could see Scott's floppy hair and the girl who'd ran up to him coming toward us.

"Paul…" Sam's voice had that familiar warning tone but Paul shot him possibly the dirtiest look I'd ever seen on Paul's kind face. The girl, Meghan, and Scott reached his side and I noticed a few spiteful eyes dart my way from the people around David. One man took a step as if to stop us but another grabbed his arm.

"You promised her, Sam. Jake. They can come back with us!" Paul said, his eyes sparkling in a way I'd never seen before. Meghan couldn't take her eyes off of him, the look between them way too familiar. "We can't leave them behind"

"You need to hurry" David groaned, his voice growing fainter.

Sam looked at him, then at the two kids whose lives were now in his hands, then at Jake, who nodded without any hesitation. With a sigh he nodded too and they darted into the forest before anyone could notice us still there. Jake tugged me a few steps, following them, but I stopped. There was something I had to, something I'd least expected myself to ever do. I turned to David, who watched me with a smile. He looked like a completely different person, one I almost wished I could get to know but I never could. I wasn't sure, but I think I might have missed his green eyes.

"Thank you" I told David, because it needed to be said. My throat tightened and tears stung my eyes for the third time that day but for the first time for real joy, real happiness.

"Don't let… anymore mysterious strangers… in through… your bedroom window" He panted. The doctor was on his way. "I think you… learned your lesson. Now, go"

Jake's hand locked around my wrist, his impatience obvious, and without another word, we ran. I kicked off my shoes, pulled up my dress and ran as fast as I could alongside the one person in the world I wanted to run with. The sounds of my prison slowly dimmed and then vanished, the twisted roots and gnarled branches couldn't even slow us down.

When we passed a certain point, the Pack not far ahead now, he yanked us to a stop, whipped me around, pulled me into his arms and kissed me.

It was the single most perfect, beautiful, gentle, intense, passionate kiss I'd ever had, his lips moving so easily with mine we could have been one. My fingers twisted into his hair, his hands caressed my cheeks and neck and in that one instant I felt more loved than I ever had before. There was nothing left in the world but him, his body pressed against mine, our breath mingled together and the hot, electric currents running between us.

"I love you… oh, _god_, I love you" Jake panted when we broke apart, his voice cracking on the end. His eyes bore into mine, reflecting the world back to me and my heart sang inside my chest.

"Let's go home" I said and his smile was enough to outshine the sun. My heart fluttered, my eyes watered, and when we started running again, I realized that this was what it felt like to really be free.

With my Pack around me, circled tight and close, my imprint beside me where he was going to stay forever, we ran through the dense trees and forest, ran until the sun disappeared behind the moon. Without stopping, we ran. Until finally we were home.


End file.
